Jeremie Frimpong has revealed the key role his brother played in making his move to Celtic happen after admitting he told his agent: 'I don't want to go anymore'.
The former Hoops starlet has since moved on to the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen and is now being linked with the likes of Manchester United and Real Madrid as his rise in the game continues. Plucked from Manchester City as an unknown, he struck up a strong bond with Neil Lennon that he describes like 'father and son' and went on to make a telling contribution at Parkhead.
His journey this season has ended with him being named as Leverkusen Player of the Year while he netted nine goals and provided 11 assists in all competitions. The 22-year-old has a huge future ahead of him but it all started in Glasgow - and nearly didn't - as he details how he first found out about the interest, his time at the club and then discovering how Leverkusen wanted to pay to take him to Germany.
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Speaking to the Rising Ballers podcast, he explained: "It was just a normal day. Just going into training and I am going on my phone and seeing links to Celtic.
"Jeremie this, Jeremie that. So I am like 'Yo, things are getting real.' My team-mates were asking why I wasn't going to training. Afterwards they came in and said 'Jeremie is it true you are leaving? We are like brothers.
"I packed to go to Celtic and I said to my agent and the driver 'let's turn around I don't want to go no more'. My agent was stressing. He was so stressed, he was saying 'Jeremie you don't understand this opportunity. This is life changing. This is first-team. This is Celtic. Big history and they play Champions League.'
"My brother text me on the phone and said forget about your friends. I understand how you are feeling but you said you wanted to be a footballer. There comes a time in your life that you need to leave your friends and need to sacrifice a lot, even your family. That journey starts now.
"Once he said that I was like 'ok we are going'. They were like brothers to me and leaving them was one of the worst things I had to go through.
"My time at Celtic was amazing. I won everything there. There was this manager called Neil Lennon. I love him till this day. He loves me. Our relationship was like father and son.
"Sometimes the players would say go and speak to your dad and things like that. After we won the cup I think I ran to him and we both started laughing.
"I remember when I got the red card I was like 'oh my days what did I just do?' We were leading 1-0 but that red card was a penalty for them. I was like 'what did I just do?' If they score now I am off and we are down to ten men against Rangers.
"I remember watching the penalty and Fraser Forster saved it. That moment I was so happy but than I had to relax as there was 30 minutes to go. I was sent to a room to watch it on TV. This was the worst time of my life but when the whistle went it was the best feeling."
On how his move to the Bundesliga surfaced, he added: "After training one time, my agent came and told me: 'It's solid now they've put in an offer.'
"I went on deadline day. I went and spoke to the manager and he said you deserve it, I am going to miss you and keep doing you. Things like this."
