Ambrose, Efe

A | Player Pics | A-Z of Players

---

Personal

---

Biog

“That is what means so much to me. It’s one thing that every player dreams of, to play for a club like Celtic. It was a dream for me.”
Efe Ambrose

Efe Ambrose arrived in 2012 an unknown quantity to Celtic, and from the off it was clear he was a great character. One of an increasing number of quality African footballers plying their trade in Europe, he arrived at Celtic as another plug in the unworkable central defence. Countless combinations of players had been used, and despite some good players, Celtic just couldn’t settle on a good pairing. So room for Ambrose to shine.

He was to put it admirably: “I am the kind of player who plays where it is of benefit to the team.”

After some fine touches of skill that delighted the Celtic support in his early games, he managed to sneak a debut goal by being the lucky man in the right place in the 5-0 away victory v St Mirren in October 2012, and celebrated in quite some style completing some acrobatic somersaults which any Olympic gold medallist would be proud of!

He carried on a positive note, capped by a strong performance in the immortal 2-1 victory over Barcelona in the Champions League in 2012. He was in the centre of the defence part of the unheralded partnership with Kelvin Wilson which held out superbly against the might of one of the greatest sides ever to play the game. Ambrose deserves praise for his role in that victory, it’s beyond anything that could ever have been asked of him.

The support was warming to this character, and he was proving his worth, becoming a mainstay of the first team who headed towards the league title.

In early 2013, Celtic lost his services annoyingly for the African Nations Cup, but it was to be a high mark for Ambrose which saw him help Nigeria win the trophy and got named in the team of the tournament. Not all easy as he was unluckily sent off in the first match. Still, he recovered and it was a great source of pride to see one of our players succeed at international level.

He was to land with a thud at the vital European Cup 1st leg v Juventus. Having just arrived back from the African Nations Cup tournament, he was starting the Celtic match only two days after Nigeria’s victory (so he’d been likely partying for the last 48hours). It was to be a disaster as Celtic collapsed to a home defeat of 3-0, and Ambrose was the culprit for two of those goals (one after just 2-3 mins of the game). It was a sore one for him.

In fairness, Ambrose would have been dying to play in this game and the management should have had the common sense not to play him as there was adequate cover. He made up for it (in small part) with a goal in the next two consecutive games and the support had forgiven him. Next thing you know, after the second leg won by Juventus 2–0, Ambrose turned up late for training and missed the team bus from the hotel, and was left to catch up by taxi. Ridiculous situation and the normally over-protective Lennon rebuked Ambrose, stating he needed to “sort himself out”, which was quite honest & harsh.

Back on track, there were actually a number of other very good performances, which included a number of goals, and into the next season the departure of Wanyama should have been a catalyst for him. In the squad there was nobody fit to takeover from Wanyama and Efe Ambrose seemed the only alternative. The loss of Kelvin Wilson meant that he was to adjust his game to not only cover for the loss of Wanyama but also Wilson too. Quite an ask, but it was an opportunity too. The whole team had to adjust and Ambrose was penned in to have a key role in this despite concerns.

A daunting task with the youthful Virgil van Dijk beside him, but he ended up striking a formidable centre-half partnership with VvD and the defence was at its best as was clearly shown by the long streak in the 2013-14 season of no losses of goals. Credit where it’s due.

Things were to turn in 2014-15, most notably after a disastrous moment in a key match v Legia Warsaw in the Champions League qualifiers which saw Ambrose sent off, and Celtic collapsed to an ignominious defeat. He was culpable and again highlighted his at times lack of professionalism.

One of his main weaknesses was his over confidence in his own footballing ability. Often rather than just hoofing it he would take the risky option of trying to play the ball through a myriad of opposition players in our own box. The problem is that he was not as gifted a footballer as he thought he was. Some real heart in the mouth moments led to either calamities or even classy football.

Efe Ambrose could be the football equivalent of a sink hole. Everything looks nice, normal and solid and then, without warning, BOOM! On those poor occasions, he had the ability to frustrate and be a bombscare! He could play a little too much football at the back when a simple punt away could be more appropriate. Saying that, he liked to play the game and his style added entertainment despite the risks. More often than not it paid off, and it would be churlish not to give him due for his general good play.

In time the Legia Warsaw catastrophe forced him onto the sidelines, with loan signing Denayer taking his place in the first team. He was never going to displace Denayer, and with all due respect the gulf in quality was vast with few anywhere who would be able to match up. Yet he wasn’t out of the picture, and was a regular sub and won first team matches when possible without any complaint. That was a lot to commend, and likely gave him the needed step back he needed. The club and international schedule had meant he was probably one of the most used overplayed players in recent years anywhere, so he was a little burnt out.

The bigger problem was that the Ronnie Deila management of Celtic was beginning to come off the rails. Critics need a target, and Ambrose actually made it easy for the loudest of them. The previous two seasons had seen defensive records broken, but 2015/16 was a shambles, and Ambrose was often poor, collecting two red cards and six yellow cards as his confidence slumped. He no longer had VvD or Denayer to assist him, so the quality support was lacking.

Johan Mjallby provided a bit of insight in one analysis, having been assistant coach for some of Efe Ambrose’s time at Celtic, he said something along the lines of Efe Ambrose is not a great communicator, and you need that in the back four. What he was getting at is that Efe Ambrose doesn’t always play his part in the defensive unit, he just does his own thing, makes some daft mistakes and makes players around him look stupid as well when they try and cover his errors. Mjallby was actually trying not to be too blunt and critical, but John Hartson and Chris Sutton basically described him as a nightmare. Harsh but actually their frustrations were mirroring those of many of the general support.

Once Brendan Rodgers entered the picture, Efe Ambrose was quickly relegated out the first team, the 1-0 defeat to Lincoln Red Imps in the Champions League qualifiers signalling major changes were needed for the defence. Efe Ambrose was told by Rodgers, when he moved in, to keep it simple, you can read between the lines there you could say. Rodgers avoided criticising Efe Ambrose in public, but whilst practically every other squad player was given chances to turn things around, Efe Ambrose was kept out the first team picture. Ambrose had really got it in the neck from the exasperated support and the management seemed to agree, privately at least.

In Jan 2017, he was transferred to Blackburn, but in true Efe-dramatic style, it fell through due to work permit issues. Celtic let him move to Blackburn regardless to train, and move on from there for his own benefit, but then soon after the Blackburn manager was sacked, and Ambrose returned to Celtic. He was then sent on to Hibs (then in second tier) on an ’emergency’ loan to help get him back up and running. Nothing with respect to Ambrose was ever going to be anything other than eventful, and that unsurprisingly has included his departure.

He formally left Celtic at the end of the 2016-17 season, and was part of the league title celebrations, despite not having played a league game. It was a nice goodbye for him so he could leave on a good note with all the supporters, and he did a backflip off the trophy podium to much applause.

In retrospect, there are plenty of supporters from the time who comment well on Efe Ambrose, but there were too many major errors that simply could not be ignored. Some examples of the calamities in notable games are:

1. Juve screw up in the Champs Lge KO stages which set Celtic up for the defeat.
2. Ross County 2016 penalty/red card from an unnecessary challenge and led to our defeat and KO from the League Cup.
3. Red Imps, culpable for the 1-0 defeat and goal (admittedly he wasn’t the only one).
4. Barca friendly game own goal after Celtic had just fought back to 1-1 (bit unfortunate but always seemed to be him involved).
5. Red Card in Legia Warsaw game which Celtic lost 4-1 (got out of jail with this result after post-match stuff in next leg saw result overturned).
6. Celtic 2-0 up v Fernerbahce, and then errors mostly stemming from Ambrose cost Celtic the 3pts, 2-2 draw at the end.

Add in around three red cards and a number of yellow cards in his short time at Celtic, it is understandable why many people were frustrated with him. The support just couldn’t see him progressing over time and learn from his mistakes. The first team was declining under Deila’s failed reign, and he wasn’t helping.

Ambrose was a loveable guy, but so was Cha Du Ri and Gary Caldwell, others with some good and then really poor moments. They also got it in the neck no different to Efe Ambrose, so Efe Ambrose wasn’t necessarily unique and being singled out.

Caldwell like Ambrose had this belief that he could be a Beckenbaeur type player. They’re not. Caldwell was to be a hero at Wigan in the lower end of the EPL and the lower tiers in England, and maybe that was Efe Ambrose’s level and he would flourish at a club like that rather than Celtic where European football was the benchmark to attain. Efe Ambrose wasn’t stepping up to the mark.

He was a bit unfortunate in that recently Celtic had at one time both van Dijk and Denayer, both of whom were way ahead of Ambrose in terms of quality. Also, Celtic’s defensive coaching had regressed appallingly under Deila in his second season with numerous goals lost from set-pieces, and rightly or wrongly Efe Ambrose had become the centre of attention for the deficiencies here. In fairness, others like Blackett and Boyata (early days) were often worse.

You only needed to read the reactions in the match reports that Ambrose needed to move for his own sake. Ambrose spent a fair percentage of his time at the club being a competent centre-half but those aforementioned bombscare moments cost Celtic, and left the support on tenterhooks any time he played, nevermind just when he did something risky or made a mistake. The majority of fans were exasperated by him, and that is despite admitting that he had talent and having a genuine fondness for him as a person.

He had to move on, but the support will remember him very fondly as a fair player with a good heart who loved his time at Celtic. He always kept spirits up and made everyone cheer at his celebrations. Sadly, he’ll also be remembered for the number of calamities too, but possibly you couldn’t get one without the other with Ambrose.

Brendan Rodgers commented favourably on Ambrose despite dropping him:

“One of the best relationships I had here was with Efe Ambrose and I never played him,” he said. “But I loved him. He treated me with respect and I made sure he trained with the group every day. We worked on what he could do better. He’d come into my office and thank me for the training, for helping him see the game differently. What a man. OK, he might not be for me. But he’s a good guy who’s served his time here. He’ll probably go and play somewhere else. He might not have been able to do it for me in my starting 11. But he’s got a family at home, a missus who’s just given birth to his child. He’s still a human being. When he’s 70 and he looks at me, hopefully he’ll say I did the best for him.”

We wished him the best, a wonderful character & person the support took to heart, and he took the club into his heart too.

Post-Celtic
He had a few good years at Hibs working under ex-Celtic manager Neil Lennon, helping them to the second tier title, and then moved south to Derby. He swiftly returned up north to play for Livingston, and then moved onto St Johnstone with a loan move to struggling second tier Dunfermline Athletic in 2022. He & his family were now long happily settled in Scotland.

He moved onto Morton, and as if fate had dictated it, his side were drawn v Celtic in the Scottish Cup Fourth Round in 2023. He had a frustrating match, conceding a penalty and then was at fault for the second in a 5-0 defeat at Celtic Park. However, every sensible person disagreed with the penalty awarded by the VAR & referee review. He was though warmly welcomed by all. He then moved on to play for Queen of the South in 2023/24, and incredibly then at the age of 35 he signed up with English side Bury in the summer of 2024 for more!

[…]

As a player, he had his critics over the years wherever he went but in retrospect with the following record, he had a lot of great achievements to look back on his career which everyone would take pride in (and some say he was an unlucky player!):

---

Playing Career

Honours with Celtic

Scottish League

• 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16

Scottish Cup

• 2013

Scottish League Cup

• 2014-15

---

Pictures

• Player Pics

KDS

• Signs for Celtic (Aug 2012)
• Efe Thread (2014-17)

---

Articles

Celtic: Efe Ambrose completes move from Ashdod

31 Aug 2012
BBC
Nigeria central defender Efe Ambrose has signed a three-year contract with Celtic after an undisclosed fee was agreed with Israeli club Ashdod.

The 23-year-old, capped 14 times by his country, has spent the last two seasons in Israel’s top flight.

Ambrose said: “It has been a long day, but it has been worth it.

“Today is one of the happiest days of my life, signing for one of the biggest clubs in the world – a club I have known about since I was young.”

Celtic manager Neil Lennon had been looking for cover in central defence after the departures of Glenn Loovens and Daniel Majstorovic.

And he has secured Ambrose, who can also play at right back and in central midfield, after the Nigerian jetted into Glasgow earlier in the day to undergo his medial at Ross Hall.

“I am the kind of player who plays where it is of benefit to the team,” he told Celtic’s website.

“If the manager trusts me to play in midfield or defence then I trust him and I am the kind of player who will give 100 per cent, whatever the coach asks of me.”

Ambrose, who is an Olympic silver medallist, began his career with Kaduna United in his homeland and thanks Ashdod for giving him the opportunity to play abroad.

“The move to Israel really opened the door for me and gave me my opportunity,” he said.

“I had been to other clubs, but they were the ones who gave me my chance.”

Now Ambrose was looking forward to playing in the Champions League groups stage.

“I have come here to find we are in the same group as Barcelona, Benfica and Spartak Moscow,” he added.

“It’s a lovely group, you might call it the group of death and it will be hard, but hard work always pays.”

As Ambrose arrived at Celtic Park, fellow defender Andre Blackman left the Scottish champions on loan to Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

---

Celtic boss says Efe Ambrose is an unlucky player

http://fcnaija.com/celtic-boss-says-efe-ambrose-unlucky-player/

By Linus Onyeze à

Posted on July 31, 2016

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers gas described Efe Ambrose as an ‘unlucky guy’ following his own goal in their 3-1 defeat to Barcelona in the International Champions Cup on Saturday.

The Nigeria international turned the ball into the back of his own net following a Barcelona cross and was unsurprisingly jeered by the Celtic fans all through his stay on the pitch.

Reacting to Ambrose’s performance on the day, Rodgers could only take pity on him, but added that the own goal could have made any striker proud

“He’s an unlucky guy, bless him. I think that a striker would’ve been proud of that goal,” Rodgers said after the game.

“He was so unfortunate. I thought he actually done okay at times. He’s in a decent enough area, the ball gets whipped in, but there’s no real danger. For it to come his leg that far outside of the post and go in the far corner was disappointing, especially after getting back into the game. But sometimes these things happen, and in the main he did okay.”

Ambrose was subsequently jeered off the pitch after he was taken off, a development which Rodgers said wasn’t nice.

“If it was that I didn’t hear it myself, but if it was, it wasn’t nice.

“Whatever his faults are, he’s a real good guy who gives his all for the club. He devotes his life to Celtic, he prepares well, he trains well, he doesn’t cheat. He trains every single day, he’s a man who wants to get better. I would like to think the Celtic supporters will support every player that plays, whether that’s Efe or anyone else. Once they pull on the green and white jersey, everyone needs that support.”

---

Efe Ambrose: Avoid Neil Lennon when you’re not playing well’

Efe Ambrose promotes the GameChanger appeal to keep rough sleepers warm this winter. Picture: SNS.

https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/teams/hibernian/efe-ambrose-avoid-neil-lennon-when-you-re-not-playing-well-1-4634870
Moira Gordon

Published: 06:00 Saturday 09 December 2017

Efe Ambrose remains good friends with many at Celtic and says that the club will always have a place in his heart.
The former Parkhead defender is also happy to openly express his admiration for the men who have pieced together a record-breaking 67-game unbeaten run and won four trophies in a row on 
domestic duty.
But that all pales when he considers his loyalty to his current manager and the desire he has to please the Easter Road fans.
It was Hibernian manager Neil Lennon, right, in his previous incarnation at Parkhead, who initially brought him to this country and when he expressed an interest in signing him up for the Leith club, the Nigerian said he found it impossible to refuse, saying Lennon
brings the best out of him.
“He knows my ability,” said Ambrose. “He brought me to this country from Israel and I played with him three years before he left and I had no choice [when he came calling for Hibs] but to say yes because I knew he would challenge me.
“When you play under Lennon you have to be at your best in every game, at training, discipline wise, everything you have to be at your best. He does not tolerate nonsense. When you are training you are training and when you are playing, you have to play at your best because when the team is not doing well, you look at the bench and at his face and think of seeing it again in the dressing room and you think twice about what are you doing and what you are going to face.
“That’s his mentality for every game, to win every game. That’s what he is trying to put into the team and we know that. It’s his style of playing and managing; he won’t change, he is still Neil Lennon. That helps me, the squad, everybody, because we know the game we play and you have to be at your best. If not you have him to contend with.”
The perfect illustration of that came in the past week, after a fumbled throw-in against Partick Thistle, invited his manager’s disapproval. Describing his boss as “hard to predict” and “hard to please”, he said he had been instructed by Lennon to ditch the gloves, garnering little sympathy for his freezing digits.
“Being with one of the best managers in the league, playing with some of the best players in the league, it’s a good environment, a good squad and I think it can improve you and make you better playing consistently. Getting game time is the most important thing right now. If you are not playing you cannot test yourself.”
The challenges are coming thick and fast. In the space of a week, Hibs will face the top three teams in the country, with Rangers travelling east on Wednesday, before the Leith side head to Pittodrie next weekend. But first they have to focus on Celtic.
“We are just going to try to see what we can get out of the game but the mentality is a winning mentality and we are playing at home with the fans and everything. We owe the fans something and we know this game is going to be an important game for us in the league because we know Aberdeen and Rangers are coming next so that is the most important thing right now, we don’t want to lose the game.
“If we break their run on Sundaywe will deserve it because I know it will not be easy, we will have to earn it. We will have to work hard for it and run for it because we are playing against Celtic, in the kind of form they are in and where they are in the league. Despite their form in Europe, which everyone knows is not good enough, they are still Celtic. We know who they are and how dangerous they are and how they can keep possession of the ball and make teams run and chase, we know they can hurt teams.”
Having come close to an upset in the first league meeting, ultimately settling for a draw, Hibs came up short in the League Cup meeting.
“We have played them twice and hopefully we have learned from our mistakes in those games and we will work hard to see if we can correct those mistakes and try to score goals against them,” said Ambrose. “But, first we have to do the defensive side of the game. If we can do that we can take Celtic to the line and give them a good game.”

---

Efe Ambrose has no Celtic exit regrets as he opens up on heart scare and almost signing for Manchester City

The former Parkhead defender has embarked on a remarkable career but is now settled in Scotland and wants to get Morton to the Scottish Premiership

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/exclusive-efe-ambrose-talks-heart-28472756
SPORT
ByScott McDermott
06:00, 13 NOV 2022UPDATED06:01, 13 NOV 2022
Efe Ambrose
Efe Ambrose (Image: Ross Turpie / Daily Record Sunday Mail Reach PLC)

Efe Ambrose didn’t even want to be a footballer.

Growing up in Kaduna, northern Nigeria, his ambition was to be an accountant. In fact, any sporting potential he had as a kid was in table-tennis or gymnastics. Playing football for a living was just a pipe dream. Yet here he is. Sitting in the boardroom at Cappielow Park in Greenock, reflecting on the highs and lows of a 17-year career in the game. Even to the man himself, it seems surreal.

He’s played at the World Cup, Olympic Games, African Cup of Nations and Confederations Cup. He was in the Celtic team that beat Barcelona in the Champions League. While winning 51 caps for his country, he took on the likes of Alexis Sanchez, Luis Suarez, Fernando Torres and Lionel Messi. Next Saturday, Ambrose will be at the Balmoral Stadium in front of 2,000 punters to play against Cove Rangers. But that’s how humble he is. It’s why he’s so popular with team-mates in every dressing-room he goes into.

RELATED ARTICLES
Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou
Ange Postecoglou warns Celtic won’t be bowed despite decisions but insists VAR chat does them ‘no favours’dailyrecord
VAR check for a Ross County penalty
Michael Stewart slaughters Celtic penalty decision as pundit describes it as ‘worst ever’dailyrecord
He’s had to defy the odds his whole life. Just a week before the 2008 Olympics, he was told by medics of a heart problem that might have stopped him from playing altogether.

As he tried to get out of Africa to Europe, he ended up training on his own in the streets of Barcelona. Moves to Villarreal, Freiburg, Nice and Rennes all fell through. He faced setback after setback, but kept going.

Eventually, he disappeared from his family and his club in Nigeria to chase a deal at Israeli side Ashdod. For three months, they thought Ambrose had been KIDNAPPED.

Instead, former Aston Villa boss John Gregory was saving his career hours before he was due on a flight back to Lagos. Before he ended up at Celtic, he was on trial at Manchester City.

After shackling Sergio Aguero and Mario Balotelli, Roberto Mancini wanted to sign him – only for Ashdod to kibosh the deal. Now, he’s at Morton. And Ambrose is still smiling.

Keto
Drink This Before Bed, Watch Your Body Fat Melt Like Crazy!
Gut Solution
Doctor Tells: Do You Have Too Much Belly Fat? (Try This Before Bed)
by TaboolaSponsored Links
He regards himself as Scottish now. His life and career has been relentless so far. And he’s got no plans to stop.

He boasts that he’s NEVER been injured – and claims no current player on the planet has kicked a ball more than him. But at the start, football was barely on his agenda.

In a rare interview, Ambrose told Mailsport : “I never imagined I’d be a footballer today. When I was a kid, I had a gift. But I never once thought about being a professional.

“My parents wanted me to go to school and be a doctor, a lawyer or an accountant. For me, it was to be an accountant.

“In terms of sport, I liked to play table-tennis and do gymnastics with my friends. Football was never a priority.

“I enjoyed it but it was just for fun. Even as a teenager, it seemed impossible. There was no chance.

“Back then, the dream was just to have a good home. My dad looked after us in Kaduna.

Efe Ambrose
“We had a big family, I have four brothers and two sisters. I had a good upbringing.

“In Africa, everyone on the streets is your friend so I had good people around me.

“My family are still in Africa now. Unfortunately, I lost my dad in 2006 and that’s when my football career took the next step.”

After impressing as a right winger and STRIKER as a youth, Ambrose signed full-time for Kaduna United and switched to centre-back. He was soon regarded as one of the biggest talents in Nigeria.

He was selected for their Under-23 Olympic squad but almost didn’t play. Efe said: “I did cardio tests before going to Beijing and the doctor said I had a heart problem.

“I said: ‘What’? Everyone in the camp just stood still, they couldn’t believe what he was saying. I had been playing and running since I was a boy, without an issue.

“But they didn’t allow me to play or train. This was a couple of weeks before the Olympics.

“I was shocked. To this day, we don’t know what the problem was. I didn’t want to know.

“I spoke to my mum and my Godfather back in Nigeria. I was worried that the door would close for me.

“I couldn’t go back to school, what would I do without football? I prayed and went for a second opinion. When it was OK, the Nigerian team doctor still wouldn’t accept it.

“The whole country was upside down because of me, it was a big story. Eventually, the sports council flew me to a hospital in Korea for final tests. Thankfully, I got the all clear to play – and we got the silver medal at the Olympics.”

When he went to Ashdod in Israel for a trial, Ambrose had his bags all packed to go home. Friends and family didn’t know where he was as he’d kept it a secret.

But English coach Gregory finally saw something in him and changed the direction of his career. Efe said: “My flights back to Lagos were booked. But Ashdod had a game that night and they gave me the option of playing.

“I had to take all of my luggage to the match. I was due to have a shower then go straight to the airport.

“I was convinced to play but I was angry at not getting a deal. Gregory was there watching and asked: ‘Who is that boy’? He was told I was a Nigerian who was too skinny. But he said they had to keep me.”

Celtic weren’t the first British team to show an interest in Ambrose before Neil Lennon brought him to Glasgow. West Ham and Manchester City were both keen and he wonders how his life would have changed had Mancini taken him to the Etihad.

(Image: Getty Images)
He said: “I had the opportunity to go and train with City for four days. They wanted to sign me.

“I trained with Aguero and Balotelli – and Mancini was looking for cover at centre-half. They wanted to see me in a game before making a final decision but Ashdod said no.

“They needed me for a crucial match against Hapoel Tel Aviv. I was obliged to go back. It was a big moment in my career.

“The road was clear for me to go to Manchester City but I missed the opportunity.”

Instead, Celtic signed Ambrose for £1.5 million on deadline day in 2012. And he’s been in Scotland ever since. At Hibs, Livingston, St Johnstone, Dunfermline and now Morton.

But why? The answer is that Ambrose now regards Nigeria as his second home, after Scotland. He said: “I had opportunities to go to other countries after Celtic.

“But I knew if I stayed here for five years, I could get a British passport. Some people would have gone for the money. But for me, this passport is worth more than a million pounds to me.

“It means I can continue to support my family and keep them safe. Africa is not safe now.

“My wife has got her University degree here in Scotland. She, along with my kids, are Scottish now.

“We never thought we’d stay here this long. We were planning to go back to Africa.

“But we love it here. So many agents came to me with great offers, like China.

“But I always said no. Money is not everything to me. I rejected everything for my family.”

At that point, after an hour and 22 minutes of talking about his life and career, young Morton team-mate Jaze Kabia comes into the boardroom. He gives Ambrose a hug and says he’s been like a father to him. And if Kabia manages to emulate his mentor on and off the pitch, he’ll be successful.

His career at Celtic started to go downhill after a Champions League nightmare against Juventus. But Ambrose says he has no regrets because he never let Neil Lennon down.

(Image: SNS Group 0141 221 3602)
In 2013, just three days after he’d helped Nigeria win the Africa Cup of Nations, the defender was thrown into a last 16 tie against the Italians at Parkhead.

In the first-leg Ambrose made costly mistakes for two of Juve’s goals, as well as missing a big chance to score late on.

For the return game in Turin, he was a sub because he’d been late for the team bus going to the stadium, which didn’t please his manager.

But Ambrose loved his time at Celtic Park and wouldn’t change anything.

He told Mailsport: “Being at Celtic put my name up there in football. It’s a massive club.

“Everyone in Europe, Africa, the world, they recognise Celtic.

“To play in the Champions League in front of those fans was incredible. Everyone in Nigeria was supporting Celtic.

“Whenever I went back home, I took strips with me for the people there.

“I have no regrets about what happened in the Juventus games.

“Maybe my only problem is that I’m TOO committed. I stuck to my word with the manager.

“I told him that straight after the African Nations, I’d be back to play and help the team.

“I didn’t feel a problem with fitness. The games just didn’t go the way we wanted to because we lost.

“A few things happened on the pitch but that’s football. The most important thing to me was that I kept my promise to the manager.

“I felt the team needed me so I’ll never regret it.

“I could have gone back to Nigeria to pop champagne and celebrate with my team-mates but I didn’t.

“I kept my word and that’s why Lennon always stood by me.

“People thought I shouldn’t have started and, of course, he could blame me for the goal.

“But the manager trusted me as a professional.

“In the next two games after Juventus at home, I scored goals for Celtic. That’s football.”

---

---