IT has been, even by their own high standards, an exceptional season for Celtic. But for one man at Parkhead in these past 10 months there has only been disappointment and frustration.

Kris Commons, who has left the Glasgow club after his contract expired, hasn’t played a single first team game for Brendan Rodgers’s side during the 2016/17 campaign.

He had to look on from the sidelines as his fellow players qualified for the Champions League group stages, won the Betfred Cup, Ladbrokes Premiership and William Hill Scottish Cup and went 47 games undefeated domestically.

It hasn't been easy for a man who was previously an automatic starter.

Commons has, though, enjoyed more than his fair share of memorable moments in the six and a half years he has spent in the East End.

Celtic have made a few outstanding signings in recent years – including Henrik Larsson (£650,000 from Feyenoord), Lubomir Moravcik (£300,000 from Duisburg) and Moussa Dembele (£500,000 from Fulham).

But very few of their acquisitions have provided such value for money as the attacking midfielder who cost them just £300,000 from Derby County back at the start of 2011.

The former Scotland internationalist has helped them win one League Cup, two Scottish Cups and five Scottish titles as well as defeat Barcelona make it through to the last 16 of Europe’s premier club competition. What is more, he has done it in some style.

The warm send-off he received from a sell-out crowd after the Celtic Charity Foundation match between “Henrik’s Heroes” and “Lubo’s Legends” underlined the huge affection and high regard he is held in by supporters.

“There are so many highlight,” he said. “My debut, my first goal, my Old Firm debut, beating Barcelona, Champions League last 16.

“If anyone came to this club with boxes to tick, I’ve done them all – apart from the treble. And it doesn’t rankle with me that I didn’t do it this year. I enjoyed it more as a fan – I got to drink!

“It’s been six years of pure emotion. I loved the Shakhter game (the Champions League qualifier against Karagandy in 2013). I scored and I’d never felt so much drive to get the ball out of the net and restart the game. I wouldn’t say I felt invincible but it was a case of ‘Let’s go’. That win and the way we did it was astonishing.

"There have been more highs than lows. There are so many experiences. You probably don't realise how high the highs are until you see them back.

“Some of the biggest highs came under Neil Lennon. He used to say to us, these will be the best days of your lives. Looking back, did we appreciate the highs and how good the team was?

"In the grand scheme of things, there have been some unbelievable achievements. I can say to myself, 'I had a good run at it'. It's been the best period of my career.

"I was naive before I came to Celtic. I thought I was a player. Then I came here, saw the scale and size of the club and realised what it meant. It was a complete learning curve coming to Celtic.

"You see big clubs around England but Celtic is above and beyond anything I've felt for any other club. I hit the ground running from the moment I walked through the door and it's been a magical journey.”

Commons added: "These last 12 months have been the most frustrating of my career in a playing sense. I had a good stint of training between October and December, went on loan to Hibs and then I started feeling my back when I returned.

“That’s been the frustrating thing. I’ve not been able to get to a top level of football. But actually being behind the scenes at Celtic, watching what the boys have been doing on the park, has filled the void.

"I have not been fit enough to play but it's been a fitting end with the last two weeks. It's been magical. You had the Lisbon Lions' anniversary, the Invincible Premiership season and then us winning the treble.

"To then be able to grace Celtic Park for the last time with real legends of this club on Sunday was a fitting end.

“It has been emotional. Being at Celtic has been the biggest part of my professional life. If you leave this place and don’t get tearful, you need a slap around the ear.

“All my family has been brought up Celtic. My kids are dressed in Celtic 24 hours a day. It’s farewell on the playing side but I will always have an attachment to this club now. Hopefully I will be remembered for my playing days but maybe in the future, other things will come that will eclipse that.”

Commons had looked set to sign for Rangers back in 2011 – then manager Walter Smith made an enquiry about his availability - but he stressed that Celtic was always his preferred option.

“There were always rumours about that and Rangers certainly made a call,” he said. “But I knew Neil Lennon. We’d played together at Nottingham Forest and I also knew Kelvin Wilson was coming after me.

“Everything was geared up for me joining Celtic. If Man United had phoned me, I’d still have signed for Celtic. There was always this, ‘It was one or the other between Celtic and Rangers’ but I knew I was coming here.

"I don't look back and have regrets. I lived every single day the same. It's gone so quickly. Do I regret turning up for training late? Do I regret a few tantrums? I don't know.

"In the grand scheme of things, my Celtic career has been a memorable journey. The fans might forget my goals next season but the memories that have been created will live with me until the day I die.”

Despite not featuring under Rodgers this season, Commons has been impressed with how the former Swansea City and Liverpool manager has transformed the fortunes of Celtic this season and predicted a bright future lies ahead under the Irishman’s guidance.

“Brendan has brought English Premier League knowledge to the Scottish Premiership,” he said. “People have a philosophy and talk a good game, but Brendan implements that on the training ground. He does that through his players, training methods and through his staff.

“Off the pitch, he’s changed everything – sports science, the kitchen, the gym, the dressing room. He is a man who came in here to flip this club upside down and do what he did this year.

“It’s probably come round a bit quick for him. He wouldn’t have expected to go unbeaten and win the treble in his first 12 months. But it has catapulted him to legendary status.”

Kris Commons has attained much the same level of greatness.