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| Full Name | Logan Bailly |
| Known as | Logan Bailly |
| Date of Birth | 27th December 1985 |
| Birthplace | Liège, Belgium |
| Height | 1.90m (6ft 3in) |
| Position | Goalkeeper |
| Signed | 8 July 15 (OH Leuven £250k) |
| Left | 12 July 2017 (to Mouscron, free) |
| Squad No. | 26 |
| Debut: | Dundee Utd 1-3 Celtic, SP, 22 Aug 2015 |
| International | Belgium |
| Caps | 8 |
Biog
| “My two seasons at the club were pure pleasure. Celtic are the best team I have played for.” Logan Bailly |
Logan Bailly arrived at Celtic Park as the new stand-in keeper following the release of the likeable Zaluska.
Back in Belgium, Logan had won a reputation for as colourful a life off the field as much as on it, and was joining a motley crew at Celtic where the club itself had now amassed a subset of characters who could argue similarly (e.g. Leigh Griffiths, Nadir Ciftci and Tony Stokes).
He seemed to be content on his arrival declaring:
‘Glasgow looks like a great city and I think I’m going to be very happy here.’
He had a good start when in his debut for the first team in a friendly v SD Eibar in July 2015, he saved a penalty which brought him to the attention of the general support. Playing in the rankings behind Craig Gordon, who had just had a phenomenal season with Celtic, meant that Logan was going to have to bide his time.
However, he was to be little used, and as Deila’s reign as manager collapsed in 2015/16, Bailly was little preferred to be used even in matches against lowly rated opponents (e.g. against Stranraer and East Kilbride in the Scottish Cup).
A poor performance in the 2015-16 end of season loss to St Johnstone didn’t help Ronny Deila’s stats in his final run of games to his departure, and it formed supporters doubts over Bailly’s long-term opportunities. In his only three league appearances, Celtic had conceded a goal in each, but in fairness the whole team at that time wasn’t doing too well. Morale was low and the defence out of sorts.
Worse for him was that when Craig Gordon the next season was off form, rather than use Bailly, new manager Rodgers brought in De Vries. Shame for Bailly, as practically all else were given opportunities to reboot their careers, but not in his case. Even when De Vries soon lost form, the manager reverted to Gordon, so Bailly was never given a look-in.
He was getting little chance to play a part in Celtic’s incredible return to form in season 2016-17 under Rodgers, and Bailly was being long-forgotten. He played only a single game, once in the league coming on late as a sub, in that incredible season as Celtic went on to seal the domestic treble undefeated. It was an easy 5-0 victory over Hearts, so there was little for him to do or prove.
The coaching staff had tried to help him out, but Logan Bailly refused to go on loan for a month to Raith Rovers towards the end of the 2015-16 season. Even though assistant manager John Collins tried hard to get Bailly to help out former Celt John Hughes, Bailly refused to play at what he thought was a low level club.
Bailly was released by Celtic in July 2017. Celtic had an option to keep the player for another year but decided against it with some putting it down to allegations that Bailly cared more for the Glasgow nightlife than actually trying to get himself in to the first team. Actually out of the motley crew at Celtic, it’s fair to say Celtic seemed to have had possibly the least issues from him than any of the others.
He left Celtic returning to Mouscron in his native Belgium in a bid to get his career back on track. There are also various tabloid stories about his personal life outwith of the club reportedly to explain his exit, but to be clear those stories & details are not of interest for this site, and his private life is best left at that.
We wish him the best.
Post-Celtic
Appears that his time at Mouscron was short, and he played for only a season before stepping down to play in the amateur ranks.
Quotes
“Under normal circumstances I’d have been a first-team regular with Celtic. But I got injured two days before our first Champions League qualifier (in season 2016/17). Another keeper [De Vries] came along to take my place. Our results were always up to standard, so there was no need to change the team. But my two seasons at the club were pure pleasure. Celtic are the best team I have played for. We won lots of trophies during my time with them. We set new points and goalscoring records for the Scottish League.”
Logan Bailly (July 2017)
“My two seasons at the club were pure pleasure. Celtic are the best team I have played for.”
Logan Bailly (2023)
Playing Career
| APPEARANCES | LEAGUE | SCOTTISH CUP | LEAGUE CUP | EUROPE | TOTAL |
| 2015-16 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Shut-outs | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2016-17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Shut-outs | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Shut-outs | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Honours with Celtic
Scottish League
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Articles
Logan Bailly: Celtic sign Belgian goalkeeper
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/33449946
Celtic have signed Belgian goalkeeper Logan Bailly on a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee.
The 29-year-old arrives from OH Leuven having previously played for Borussia Monchengladbach and Genk.
He will provide cover for Craig Gordon following the summer departure of former deputy Lukasz Zaluska.
“I think I’m in my prime as 29 or 30 years old is a great age for a goalkeeper,” Bailly told the Scottish champions’ website.
“It’s a great feeling, it’s big team with a big history and I’m very happy I’m here. When you see Celtic from the outside, you know it is a big team but when you are here you realise that it is a lot bigger.
“When you hear that a club like Celtic is interested in you, at first you don’t believe it, it’s like a dream to pay for Celtic. When you play football you dream of playing on the big stage.”
Celtic keeper Logan Bailly a reformed man: My wild days are behind me – and there’s no room for a child seat in a Ferrari
LIFE in the fast lane almost cost Logan Bailly his career and freedom.Branded the ‘Beckham of Belgium’, the new Celtic keeper’s fondness for flash cars was once legendary in his home country.
But Bailly’s fast living could have cost him dearly when he narrowly avoided a jail term in 2011 for assault.
Now a reformed character, the former Belgium No1 is happy to live life in the slow lane.
The Lamborghinis have been swapped for something a bit more family-friendly as Bailly rebuilds his career at Parkhead.
Speaking after saving a penalty on his Celtic debut against Eibar, he said: “A keeper is always a little bit crazy. About ten years ago, when I was 20 or 21, I made some mistakes.
“But you learn from life and that is all in the past. I’m 29 now and more mature. I’m a different person. I have two children now, Destiny and Prince, who are 11 and five. They are the most important thing for me.
“Is there room in a Ferrari for a child seat? No!”
Bailly was destined for the top from an early age and won eight caps between 2009 and 2010.
Plucked from Genk by Borussia Moenchengladbach, he kept current Barcelona keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen out of the German side.
But, after three years in the Bundesliga, it all went pear-shaped for Bailly amid a loss of form and personal problems.
Loan spells at Neuchatel Xamax and Genk followed, but it wasn’t until he joined OH Leuven in 2012 that his form returned.
Written off by many in Belgium, he went back to basics and earned another crack at the big time with Celtic.
After everything he’s been through, Bailly is desperate to make up for lost time and become a success in Scotland.
He said: “Every player dreams of playing at a big club. When I came back from Germany, I went to Switzerland and then home to Belgium.
“I was there for three years and every day I woke up and went to training with hope.
“Now I have signed for Celtic, I wake up every day and see the chance I have to be part of this club.
“Before I joined Celtic, I heard a lot about it — about the fans, the team and the history.
“Now I am inside, I see what it’s like and why everybody knows Celtic. It is unbelievable.”
Bailly has huge admiration for current Hoops No1 Craig Gordon but doesn’t strike you as the type who will be happy to play second fiddle.
He is under no illusions that the Scotland star will take some shifting, yet that is his ultimate aim.
He said: “I am happy to take on the challenge of becoming No1 at Celtic.
“When I signed, I saw this as a big chance to train every day with Craig. He is a guy with a lot of experience.
“Craig has had a fantastic career and I can learn from him every day on the training pitch.
“I only knew Craig from the TV before, but I am getting to see him every day now and I learn more about him.
“He’s a great guy, a very simple guy like any other keeper, and we have a good partnership together. It’s great to train with Craig and the coach.
“Do I still want his jersey? Yes. Goalkeeper is a different position to any other. There is only one of you who can play. You have to respect each other and I have a good feeling about training with Craig and the coach.
“We are like a small family because we are training all the time together and we give each other confidence. But any keeper would learn from Craig. He’s a great player and a great guy.”
Long term, Bailly also has unfinished business at international level — but he won’t make any grand statements.
Thibaut Courtois and Simon Mignolet have emerged during his absence and the new Bhoy is happy to stay patient and focus on his club form.
Bailly said: “My first job is to learn with Celtic, try to play some games, and win something with the club.
“That is the most important thing. I didn’t sign here and think ‘I’ll be back in the national squad within six months’.
“Celtic is the most important thing for me and that is what I will focus on.”
Barring one dodgy moment, Bailly looked the part against Eibar in Spain’s Basque region on Saturday night.
Leigh Griffiths won the man of the match award after bagging a hat-trick, but the Belgian keeper was an assured presence for Celtic.
Gordon will doubtless return for the Champions League qualifier against Stjarnan on Wednesday, yet Bailly will continue to push him.
He said: “For a goalkeeper, it is always great to stop a penalty. That was my first game so it was a nice feeling.
“But that’s not the most important thing for me — it was that we had a good game.
“However, saving the penalty will give me confidence, for sure.
“When you play with a good team, that’s what you get. I am feeling more and more confident with Celtic now.
“It was very nice to start my career with Celtic. We played a great game and getting the win was the most important thing.
“I will take a lot more confidence for Wednesday against Stjarnan, as will the rest of the team. That’s what the manager wants.”