It had to happen.
Dedryck Boyata returned to Celtic’s first-team on Sunday afternoon after a lengthy stand-off with the club, and, of course, he scored.
Boyata has been involved in a dispute with Celtic after they turned down a £9m offer from Fulham on the transfer deadline day earlier this month. The central defender didn’t take that well.
He missed Celtic’s Champions League defeat to AEK Athens, their biggest games of the season, claiming that he was injured. Brendan Rodgers said that Boyata was fit to play, suggesting that he simply refused to play. Sevilla are reportedly interested in signing the Belgian, who joined Celtic from Manchester City in 2015, so he may still leave Celtic Park this summer.
He did, however, return to training earlier this week and Rodgers named him in Celtic’s starting line-up for the match against Hamilton Academical.
And, if Sunday’s match is to be his last for the club, he at least left in style. The defender scored the only goal of the game, tapping the ball home after it landed it in his path from Leigh Griffiths’ corner.
Boyata’s teammates rushed over to him to celebrate the goal, suggesting that they have no issue with him despite his standoff with the club. Yet, it wasn’t quite that simple amongst fans in attendance.
A section of Celtic fans protested against Boyata’s inclusion in the starting team, holding up a banner that read:
“Boyata – not fit to wear the jersey”
A message to Dedryck Boyata from the Celtic fans ahead of kick off. pic.twitter.com/rYlElZoIuS
— Clyde 1 Superscoreboard (@ClydeSSB) August 26, 2018
Boyata himself didn’t appear to know how to react upon scoring the goal.
He didn’t celebrate finding the net, even when his teammates came over to congratulate him.
On social media, Celtic fans found the funny side of what has become an awkward situation.
Boyata breaks the deadlock! ⚽️#CELHAM #SPFL pic.twitter.com/8dDxSolAub
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) August 26, 2018
https://twitter.com/TattiBojangles1/status/1033736281723944960
https://twitter.com/sc32ie/status/1033736650613043200
We really are living through the banter era
— Adam Lynch 🇵🇸 (@AdamLynch27) August 26, 2018
Called it pic.twitter.com/ip6pJovpek
— Taylor (@Tay1or1888) August 26, 2018
https://twitter.com/delbhoy007/status/1033736400854831104
