The Frenchman is on the way out of Crystal Palace and was linked with a return to Celtic, who signed him from PSG for £9million during Rodgers' first spell. But it was one the Irishman knocked down pretty quickly. “Big names don’t always give you what you need," he said. "This team needs hunger, goals and work rate and intensity.

Reports even suggested the 38-year-old had his “heart set” on a switch to Parkhead, according to a source close to the player.