Ex-Celtic wonderkid once wanted by Barcelona left unemployed aged 26 says ‘you’ll find me in a third division somewhere’

REAL BETIS face Rangers in the Europa League on Thursday.

But a one-time wonderkid who joined Brendan Rodgers at Celtic having played for the Spanish side currently finds himself without a club at the age of just 26.

Kenny Ramsay – The Sun Glasgow

Big things were expected of Musonda[/caption]

AP:Associated Press

He couldn’t capitalise on his Chelsea first team breakthrough[/caption]

Getty

Musonda most recently played for Levante in Spain[/caption]

Belgian Charly Musonda arrived at Celtic Park in January 2018, during Rodgers’ first spell at the club.

He’d been signed by Chelsea as a 15-year-old and spent a year on loan at Real Betis in 2016.

But at the time, Manchester City, Barcelona, Ajax, Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool were all keen to land him.

Chelsea, however, landed him when they also agreed to sign his two older brothers, Lamisha and Tika.

He moved to Celtic on a much-hyped 18-month loan but made only eight appearances – and just TWO league starts, although he did face Zenit St Petersburg home and away in the Europa League.

But after his last Celtic start – in a goalless draw against St Johnstone in February 2018 – he wouldn’t begin another game in almost FIVE YEARS, until he played for Spanish Second Division outfit Levante against Getafe in January 2023.

He’d suffered a posterior cruciate ligament injury while on loan at Chelsea’s Dutch feeder club Vitesse – sidelining him him for two years during which time he was told he had a “20 per cent chance of playing football again”.

In an interview earlier this year, he recalled: “They said if I had the surgery, that would probably be the end of my career.

“The problem with your PCL is that as soon as you have surgery, the odds of you coming back, especially with a grade three tear, are slim.

“They said my knee was a very rare injury and that I could forget about being an explosive player and doing the things I’d been used to doing again.”

After a decade at Chelsea he left in 2022 – announcing on Instagram: “Not being able to play for four years has been heartbreaking and soul-wrenching.”

And after making just six appearances in his year at Getafe, the club announced he had been released earlier this month.

His present fitness and whereabouts are unknown – but earlier this year he vowed: “I’ve always said if I can run, I’ll play.

“You’ll find me in League One, League Two or a third division somewhere.

“I will always play football somewhere.”

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