JEREMIE ALIADIERE had already been labelled ‘the new Thierry Henry’ by the time Gordon Strachan took him on loan to Celtic from Arsenal in July 2005.
The French striker was one of the first signings for Martin O’Neill’s successor and big things were predicted for the 22-year-old forward who was so highly rated by the London club’s boss Arsene Wenger.
Aliadiere lasted only TWO months at Parkhead and didn’t make a solitary start for Strachan’s team.
He made two substitute appearances in the 5-4 aggregate loss in the disastrous Champions League qualifiers against Artmedia Bratislava before his season-long temporary transfer was cut short.
BALL BHOY…Jeremie Aliadiere during his brief stint at Parkhead.
Aliadiere was on his way following the arrival of Polish international Maciej Zurawski.
Years later, the player reflected: “The previous season, I suffered a knee injury, so it was a mutual decision with Arsene Wenger that it would be good for me to go on loan.
“Celtic came in for me I thought: ‘Wow, what an opportunity to go to such a big club’.
“I signed for a year and started pre-season, everything was going well. I was working hard and trying to do as best as I could for the club.
“Suddenly, the club bought another striker, Zurawski, and from that day when he arrived I became a sub.
“I was on the bench, but I thought: ‘I’m here for a year and I’m going to fight and try to do my best and get in the starting eleven.’
“And then just before the transfer window ended, Gordon Strachan said to me: ‘We’ve bought this player and because he’s part of the club and you’re only on loan he will get more of an opportunity than you. If you’re not happy with that, then you can move’.
“The point had been for me to get chances to play because I was on the bench at Arsenal, so going to Celtic to be on the bench as well didn’t really make sense to me.”
Aliadiere continued: “Because I had a week left of the window, I straight away called my agent and said this is the situation and we managed to move to West Ham on loan again for a season.
GREEN FOR GO…Jeremie Aliadiere lasted two months at Celtic.
“We had Alan Pardew at West Ham at the time and I thought: ‘Wow that’s a great escape because I’m not going to play for Celtic.’
“I was obviously gutted to leave the club because I was all settled there, everything was going great apart from not playing.”
Asked if had been a dream unfulfilled at the Hoops, the Frenchman answered: “For sure because it’s a massive club. I loved my time there.
“When I was there I really hoped that it was going to work out for me and I could show what I was capable of doing. I felt that got taken away from me.”
Aliadiere also played for Wolves and Middlesbrough before returning to his homeland with Lorient and then having spells at Qatari clubs SC Umm Salai and Muaither before hanging up his boots at the age of 34.
He never quite lived up to the tag of ‘the new Thierry Henry.’
* TOMORROW: Don’t miss the adventures of another former Celt in CQN’s EXCLUSIVE series.
