Despite Neil Lennon’s comments, Jeremie Frimpong says he did not wany to leave

In January, the former Celtics star made a surprise move to Bundesliga powerhouse Bayer Leverkusen.

It was the end of the Dutch youth international’s 18-month stay at Parkhead, where he had helped the team achieve the Treble.

Ex-Celtic coach Lennon stated at the time that Frimpong had made it known to him and other club executives that he wanted to depart.

But, as the 20-year-old prepares to face his former club in the Europa League this week, he says that was not the case.

“It will be nice to return to a stadium where I have had success but now I return to win not to play for Celtic but to try and win against them,” Frimpong told the Daily Record.

“We know the atmosphere the fans will create,”

“I know that better than anybody – but we just have to focus and play as we know we can,”

“I was not looking to leave Celtic, when the chance came to join Leverkusen it was not something I was actively looking to do,”

“I was happy with my team-mates, happy with the fans,”

“The Bundesliga is one of the top three leagues in Europe and when you get that chance it was impossible for me to say no,”

“I didn’t know of their interest in me,”

“It was a shock – but the chance to play for one of the best clubs in Germany was not something I could turn down,”