I thought Neil Lennon could have done with keeping an experienced senior player like Mikael Lustig next season.

But I suspect that he has been offered better terms at KAA Gent, the Belgian club he joined on a free transfer yesterday.

He has been a first-class servant to the Parkhead club, wanted to stay and clearly was after a bit more money than they were prepared to give him.

I think that Celtic certainly offered him a contract - I believe a two season deal was on the table - but I think the Swede was looking for a better deal.

It would have done the Scottish champions no harm at all to hang on to him for the 2019/20 campaign at least. They are short now in the right back area.

They have Anthony Ralston. But with Cristian Gamboa, Jeremy Toljan and now Lustig away I think they will have to get somebody in that position in quickly.

Lustig will be remembered fondly by Celtic supporters. He played in a lot of games and won a lot of trophies during his eight seasons in Scotland. He deserves a lot of praise for how he performed.

Having played as a full-back myself, I thought he was good going forward, he read the game well and could play central defence is needed.

He quickly established himself as a first-choice player. Even last season, when he got caught out on a couple of occasions early on, I thought he did well.

Lustig was, along with Scott Brown and James Forrest, the only player who has played in every one of Celtic’s eight consecutive Scottish title triumphs.

He would have helped them to land a ninth.