Moi Elyounoussi has put his Celtic career in doubt by being pictured using his mobile phone whilst sat on Celtic's bench for their recent home defeat to Sparta Prague in the Europa League.

Moi Elyounoussi has had a mixed return this season to Celtic, in some games he has been brilliant and in others been accused by Celtic supporters of lacking spirit and being disinterested.

But it appears that being disinterested in a game is not just limited to whilst he is playing in it, in the Bhoy's 4-1 home defeat to Sparta Prague, a game in which he was subbed off on the hour mark with his team 2-0 down, he was captured by the TV cameras looking at his mobile phone.

Celtic fans and manager Neil Lennon were equally outraged, "He better not have been. That’s something I’ll deal with." said the manager and Celtic fan sites were full of outraged supporters.

The Celtic boss was backed up by his former team-mate, Chris Sutton, who reckoned the winger deserved to be fined by the club.

And he questioned the Norwegian's commitment to the club as he described his actions as 'selfish' and 'egotistical'.

Sutton said: "What I question is the players commitment. There’s a player this evening sitting in the stands on his phone.

"That is totally unacceptable.

"That’s scandalous. Is he committed to the cause? Is he committed to the club? Totally unacceptable.

But is seems that Elyounoussi has an excuse.

Although admitting that his actions were "Unacceptable" he defended them by claiming he was only trying to find out how Celtic's rivals in the Europa League group were getting on.

“First of all, this is unacceptable from me. I have talked to both the coach and the captain and the case is dead between us."

“The phone is just out of pocket. I have warnings from Milan-Lille, the second match in our group, and I just wanted to check the result in that match."

“In any case, it is stupid of me to put myself in that situation. I lie down and take the punishment I’ll now possibly get.”

“I heard what Sutton commented and that is 100 per cent wrong. On the contrary. I am very dedicated.”

To have goal warnings on your phone for a game being played at the same time you would be on the pitch for your own club sounds a little strange and Elyounoussi may not find the Celtic supporters as polite as either Lennon or Sutton, he may well find it hard at least for the next few games to placate them, luckily enough it will be mostly on line and he won't be facing 40,000 or so baying fans in the ground, but if he doesn't perform, in his first few games he will have them on his backs.

Recently Ralph Hasenhuttl has spoken of how the winger may not yet be finished at St Mary's and could yet return and revive his fortunes in the final two years of his contract, but the Austrian is a man who demands commitment from his players and this will not impress him.

Photo: Action Images

Sanguin added 10:07 - Nov 6 Probably checking for the latest US election updates.
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