The former Liverpool, Chelsea and Barcelona star spent a week training under the watchful eye of Neil Lennon
13:24, 11 Dec 2025
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Boudewijn Zenden looks on
Former Barcelona, Liverpool and Chelsea star Bolo Zenden has opened up on his trial stint with Celtic.
The ex-Netherlands international won 54 caps for his country during a career that also saw him turn out for Middlesbrough and Sunderland in the Premier League either side of a spell with Marseille.
But he was denied the chance to finish his career in the Scottish Premiership. After leaving Sunderland aged 35, Zenden headed to Parkhead so that then boss Neil Lennon could run the rule over the experienced campaigner.
Zenden was given a run-out in a friendly and was due to report back the following week for more training. However, the club decided not to press ahead with the deal, preferring to wait until the January transfer window opened instead and Zenden joined the coaching staff at Stamford Bridge.
"When I was a free agent, I went up to Celtic and had a spell where I trained with them and even played in a friendly game," he told football betting site BetVictor. "This was a long time ago. Glenn Loovens was there at the time.
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"Did it come close? In a way, it did. I stayed from Monday to Friday, went back home for the weekend, and was normally going to report back on the Monday.
"However, it was in October and they decided not to sign anyone outside of the transfer window. They preferred to wait until the January transfer window. I was a free agent, so they could have signed me in between.
"So did it get close? No. I think in the end, in football, you're only close when you have a pen in your hand to sign the papers. I believe, and I'm sure, that in football there are many more deals that don't go through than the ones that fall through. Many more."
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