Celtic manager Mowbray upset players: Killen

Middlesbrough-bound Chris Killen has taken a parting shot at Celtic coach Tony Mowbray saying that a vow to make 10 new signings during the current transfer window had upset many of his players.

The New Zealand striker Killen believes the statement may have been aimed at motivating his under-performing squad.

But instead it backfired and in his own case he came to the conclusion that he had no future with the Glasgow club.

“I think what he said did upset a lot of the players, if we’re being honest about it. And, yes, the feeling at the training ground lately has been a bit confused,” Killen told the Daily Record.

“But that’s fine. We’re all professional football players and we realise that this is what happens when a new man takes over. He comes in with his own ideas and his own plans for the club. He wants to bring his own men and that’s his prerogative.

“Maybe he was trying to ruffle a few feathers by what he said. Maybe he was looking to get a positive response out of the guys who were there. Sometimes a manager needs to say certain things in order to get a reaction and maybe that’s what he was trying to do.

Killen was one of four players to leave Parkhead on Wednesday, with Barry Robson and Willo Flood joining him at Middlesbrough and defender Gary Caldwell going to Wigan.

He insisted he was reluctant to “throw in the towel” but needed to play first-team matches ahead of this summer’s World Cup in South Africa.

“Of course there is a concern that I might end up moving down here swapping once bench for another. I’d be lying if I said that thought hadn’t crossed my mind,” he said.

“But I still think I’ll have a better chance of playing football here than I would have had at Celtic.”