Alex Valle had a very successful spell at Celtic in the four months after he joined the club on loan from Barcelona.
The Spanish left-back was brought in by Brendan Rodgers as competition for Greg Taylor and, in the main, had a successful but brief period at the club.
Valle made 19 appearances which included Celtic’s impressive draw at Atalanta and in the Bhoys’ League Cup final win over Rangers.
The young full-back’s time at Celtic was cut short, as he moved to Como on loan. But now that Valle has made his Barcelona exit permanent to the Serie A club, here he shares how Nou Camp boss Hansi Flick ‘threw him off’ and convinced him to join the Hoops.
Photo by Emmanuele Ciancaglini/Ciancaphoto Studio/Getty Images
Photo by Emmanuele Ciancaglini/Ciancaphoto Studio/Getty Images
Hansi Flick took Alex Valle ‘a bit by surprise’ and it convinced him on Barcelona exit to Celtic
It appears that Flick was very keen on keeping Valle at Barcelona and highly rated the talented young full-back.
However, it was during the La Liga side’s pre-season preparations last summer that Flick did something that left Valle confused and convinced that he should move to Celtic on loan.
Valle told Diario Sport, “It took me a bit by surprise, I’m not going to lie. I’d never played on the right. I had some good matches, but I was realistic; it was like a dream because I’m not a right back.
“I liked it, eh, I wouldn’t rule it out for the future, but at that moment, I didn’t see myself. I’d come off a whole year in the Second Division on the left, and I felt confident.
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“From the start, I could see myself playing on the right in every training session in the United States. That threw me off, so I decided to go to Celtic.”
Barcelona’s loss was Celtic’s gain as Brendan Rodgers only lost two games when Valle wore their green and white Hoops in his short spell in Paradise.
What Hansi Flick said when Alex Valle told him he wanted to join Celtic
So how did Flick take the news that Valle wanted to leave Barcelona for Celtic? Angry? Sad? Apparently not, according to the young Spaniard.
Valle continued, “He told me he was very happy with me. He told me I’d performed well and that he thought it was a good idea for me to stay and fight for the right-back spot.
“I told him I loved his style of play—aggressive, dynamic, direct—but I also told him I thought I’d get more opportunities at left-back and that Celtic was an option.
“It was a calm and honest conversation.”
Incredible to think that Flick thought Valle was good enough to compete at his age for a first-team spot in the Barcelona team.
The fact that he decided to join Celtic was telling and it proves how the Parkhead club has a big draw to young, talented players looking to improve their football at Parkhead.