NIR Bitton, the Celtic midfielder, has claimed that Kyle Lafferty, the Hearts striker, should have been ordered off by referee Kevin Clancy for diving at the weekend.
Lafferty, the former Rangers centre forward, hit the headlines on Saturday following the Ladbrokes Premiership game at Parkhead.
The 29-year-old appeared to make an obscene gesture at the Celtic fans who had jeered him as he was substituted in the second half of the Tynecastle club’s 4-1 defeat.
Bitton, who played at centre half in the absence of both Dedryck Boyata and Erik Sviatchenko, felt the Northern Ireland internationalist should have been red carded before that.
Lafferty, who was booked by Clancy for persistent fouling, went down easily following a challenge on the edge of the Celtic box and also appeared to foul Kieran Tierney
“Should he have gone off?” said Bitton. “Well, he got a yellow card then it was a 100 per cent dive. But it doesn’t matter now. We won 4-1 and it’s gone.
“It’s not about me and Lafferty. It’s how we defend as a team. But I don’t think he did anything. It’s not about Lafferty, it’s about Hearts and we played very well against them.”
Meanwhile, the Israeli has stressed that he is keen to play in midfield in future despite doing well at centre half in both the Champions League qualifier against Rosenborg last week and the league game with Hearts.
The 25-year-old is also adamant that he wants to remain at Parkhead despite losing his first team place to Stuart Armstrong and both Eboue Kouassi and Oliver Ntcham being signed for combined fees of over £7 million this year.
“Do I like playing in defence?” he said. “I like playing and it doesn't matter where I play. As long as the gaffer gives me my chance in the team I will do my best.
“Our centre backs have been really unlucky to get injured and I have to play. I feel sorry for Erik because it’s not the best to be injured. I hope they come back soon and stronger.
“I don’t look at it like it’s my best chance to stay in the team or not. When you play for Celtic there’s always competition no matter what position you play. I was brought here as a midfielder, but I’m now playing centre back. I just enjoy playing.”
Bitton added: “Some people just don’t understand that when you play for Celtic it is a huge club. Of course everyone wants to play, but it’s one of the biggest clubs in Europe. When you get a chance to play for a club like this you do your very best to stay here.
“You don’t leave this club for every offer that comes along. Of course every player wants to play and it’s not the same when you don’t play. But I will always to my best to help this club.
“Every season is important to your career. When you play for Celtic it’s one of the biggest stag-es in Europe and every game I play here is the same as 10 games for another club. So as long as I am here I will do my best to stay in the team.
Asked if he had chances to move on since losing his starting spot last season, he said: “I don’t think about it. There are people who work behind the scenes on that, but I don’t think about it. I really enjoy it. I’m really happy at Glasgow and at Celtic.”
The 6ft 5in player, who set up Leigh Griffiths for the opening Celtic goal with a defence-splitting pass from just inside the Hearts half, believes he will be able to help Rodgers’s team build their attacks from the back.
“Centre back is not about being a hard man,” he said. “If you look at centre backs in the biggest clubs in Europe they are not the strongest or not the quickest. But they can read the game and understand the position. I will do my best.
“I think that is how I play. Some managers like to play long balls and fight for second balls. But Brendan Rodgers’s philosophy is about moving the ball quickly, keeping possession, and not just kicking the ball up the pitch.
“I think all the centre backs at Celtic can play out from the back. Hopefully I can help the team like I did for the first goal today.”
Bitton came on as a second half substitute in the first leg of Celtic’s Champions League qualifier against Astana in Kazakhstan last season and knows their play-off rivals will be difficult to overcome in the play-off in the coming weeks.
“They are a decent side, they play football,” he said. “They have good players and it will be tough. But if we want to get to the Champions League group stages we will have to win against Astana.”
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