PROUD dad Charlie Christie last night insisted son and ex-Celtic star Ryan has nothing to prove to anyone after reaching the Premier League with Bournemouth.
The 27-year-old was slaughtered by some fans for lacking ambition and chasing the money, when he quit Celts to drop into England’s second-tier.
But Christie has since proved to be a key figure in the Cherries’ return to the top flight after two years away, following Tuesday’s crucial 1-0 win over rivals Nottingham Forest.
Charlie, a Caley Thistle legend, and part of the Hoops squad in the late-1980s, said: “Ryan didn’t have to justify his move to anyone.
“I’ll be honest, I was sceptical too before he made the switch.
“I’ve got a big affinity for Celtic, and I thought Ryan had a lot going for him there.
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“He really enjoyed working under Ange Postecoglou, and it is a club he truly loves.
“Ryan had achieved so much with Celtic, and had so many wonderful memories there.
“Of course, last season was a huge disappointment for everyone.
“There were a number of disappointing things that happened off the park that impacted on Ryan and left a mark.
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“It was on his mind to go. But then Ange came in and I can honestly say Ryan was impressed with him, how he went about things, and especially how he wanted the team to play. All of that suited him.
“Celtic wanted him to stay, but ultimately, he just felt he needed a new challenge — and the chance to go to England was too strong to resist.
“I admired his thinking, because he had faith in his ability to go to a totally new environment and be successful.
“Ryan could have gone straight to the Premier League with Burnley. He spoke to Sean Dyche, someone we’ve both got great admiration for.
“But then the next day he had talks with Bournemouth boss Scott Parker and that made up his mind, even though they were down in the Championship.
“Ryan backed himself and I love that. He’s more or less played every game he’s been available for, and the move has worked out brilliantly for him.
“Ryan was full of enthusiasm for the style of football there and their intent on returning to the Premier League. And the south-coast lifestyle was a huge attraction too.”
The success of Parker’s side in reaching the top flight is understood to have activated a hefty bonus payment for Celtic as part of the original seven-figure transfer fee.
Christie Sr believes that makes the deal as much of a win for the Celtic as it has for Bournemouth.
He added: “There were plenty of folk who had enough to say about Ryan leaving Celtic, including a few former players who I was disappointed with.
“Some of the comments were unfair, to say the least. It was too easy to forget everything Ryan achieved there.
“But he had also done well at Aberdeen and his home-town club of Inverness, where he broke into the team and won the Scottish Cup.
“Ryan also has close to 30 Scotland caps and he’s played for the country at a major tournament.
“So, how was it for others to question him and his motivation for leaving Celtic? Particularly those who don’t know him?
“Was he hurt by the comments? No. He simply said to me, ‘If it’s not bothering me, why is it bothering you?’.
“Me and his mum have seen his happiness at Bournemouth. He is tremendously settled, he has bought a house and he’s thriving with everything.
“Promotion is the icing on the cake — and Ryan believed right from day one it was possible.”
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