Bersant Celina could have joined Bolton Wanderers in the summer rather than moving to Ipswich Town - and he’s convinced he made the right decision.
The Manchester City loanee crashed in his eighth goal of the season to lead the Blues to a 1-0 victory over Leeds on Saturday, and will be looking to do the same again when he takes on a Bolton side he nearly joined in the summer after taking a tour of their Macron Stadium home.
But when Wanderers hesitated over the deal the Kosovo international made the decision to move to Portman Road, which has led to the 21-year-old becoming a fans’ favourite at his adopted home.
“There was a choice, Ipswich or Bolton, and I chose to move to Ipswich,” he said.
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“It was definitely a good choice for me and I’m really enjoying my football here. Hopefully I can go and score against Bolton as well.
“I’m really enjoying myself here and I’m just happy I can play games, be involved and help the team. Hopefully for the next four months and for all season I can keep playing well for Ipswich.”
The Blues head into Saturday’s game at Bolton four points off the Championship play-offs, despite sitting 12th in the table, while Wanderers are just a point and a place outside the relegation zone following an upturn in form which has seen them win three of their last five league games.
Despite an inconsistent run which saw Ipswich winless in four league games prior to the victory over Leeds, Celina believes there is plenty to play for between now and the end of the season - both for the club and for himself.
“I don’t think anyone feels like we’ve got nothing to play for, everyone plays for the team and I play for myself as well,” Celina said, when asked about the mood in the Ipswich camp.
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“People play for themselves and for their careers. “People are watching all the time and you have to do your best, it’s not about going through the whole season thinking you are not playing for anything because I’m playing for a lot and for my future.
“It’s the same with the other players, maybe not some of the older ones, but I’m sure the young players want to do well in every single game.
“It’s still possible because four points are not a lot.
“If we win the next two games then suddenly things change. We’ll see what happens.”
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