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Celtic midfielder Nir Bitton has signed a new contract that will keep him at the club until the summer of 2020.
The 24-year-old joined Celtic in August 2013 from FC Ashdod and made his debut in a substitute appearance away to AC Milan in the Champions League.
Since then, Bitton has grown in leaps and bounds as a player and has gone on to make 82 appearances for the Hoops since, scoring six goals in that period including some stunning strikes.
When new manager Ronny Deila walked in the summer of 2014, the pair didn’t see eye-to-eye as the midfielder struggled to hold down a place in the team. His bust-ups with the Norwegian and taking his advice on board have led to his development as a player and leader on the field.
He has also become a regular in his national side and scored his first international goal back in September against Andorra in a 4-0 win.
Speaking to Celtic’s official website, he said:
As soon as I got a new offer from Celtic I had no questions about signing. When you play for a club like Celtic you don’t think twice.
It’s a huge club, the best fans in the world and Celtic Park is one of the best stages in Europe so I’m just delighted to extend my stay here.
Celtic is a special club and every time I go to the pitch I get goosebumps. When the fans sing You’ll Never Walk Alone it’s like something from a dream and these kinds of things make my life easier and happier – I’m just happy to stay here.
I am so pleased to commit my long-term future to Celtic and I now look forward to doing everything I can to bring the Club and our fans more and more success.