Bitton agrees new Celtic contract

Celtic midfielder Nir Bitton has agreed a new long-term contract, the Glasgow giants have confirmed.

The Israeli international has penned a new five-year deal which will tie him to Parkhead until the summer of 2020. Signed from FC Ashdod in the summer of 2013 by former boss Neil Lennon, the anchor man has become an integral part of current manager Ronny Deila’s line-up. Bitton has won back-to-back Scottish Premiership winners’ medals after registering 82 appearances to date.

He told the official Celtic website: “As soon as I got a new offer from Celtic I had no questions about signing. When you play for a club like Celtic you don’t think twice.

“It’s a huge club, the best fans in the world and Celtic Park is one of the best stages in Europe so I’m just delighted to extend my stay here. Celtic is a special club and every time I go to the pitch I get goosebumps. When the fans sing You’ll Never Walk Alone it’s like something from a dream and these kinds of things make my life easier and happier – I’m just happy to stay here.

“As a player, when you get the trust of a club it gives you confidence and you appreciate it. You just want to give that back as much as you can and like I say, when you play here you don’t think twice. I enjoy every minute at Celtic and my wife is very happy here so there was never any need for change. This is where I want to be.

“I have a great relationship with the manager and the backroom staff at Celtic who have all been magnificent with me and I have a group of team-mates who I respect so highly. I am so pleased to commit my long-term future to Celtic and I now look forward to doing everything I can to bring the club and our fans more and more success.”