Carl Starfelt breaks Celtic transfer exit silence as Swede starts La Liga challenge with Celta Vigo

Much has been made of moving closer to his partner but Starfelt had sound footballing reasons for leaving.

Carl Starfelt has outlined his reasons for leaving Celtic.

The Swedish defender brought a two-year spell at Parkhead to an end this week when he signed a four-year deal with Spanish outfit Celta Vigo. Brendan Rodgers confirmed last weekend that Starfelt was in discussions with another club and was likely to leave the club sooner rather than later. Vigo confirmed Starfelt's capture earlier this week.

Girlfriend Jacynta Galabadaarachchi left Celtic Women in the summer for Sporting in Lisbon. It's thought Starfelt was keen to move closer to his partner, and with Vigo just over the Portuguese border in northern Spain, then the switch to Celta made geographical sense. But it wasn't just the 28-year-old wasn't just following his heart - he also wanted to test himself in one of the world's strongest leagues. "I want to try myself in the Spanish league, which is one of the best competitions in the world," he said.

"I believe in the project that Celta is building; it seems very nice to me. I spoke with Luis Campos and the coach, and they both showed me their interest in to join this project."

"My first day here has been very good. I have had the opportunity to get to know the team, both my new teammates and the coaching staff. I really want to start."

Celtic are expected to replace Starfelt before the end of the transfer window. Elfsborg IF defender Gustaf Lagerbielke is a target but the Swedish club claimed earlier this week that negotiations hadn't yet taken place.