RYAN CHRISTIE reckons Bournemouth pal Julian Araujo has been a perfect fit for Celtic.
But he revealed that the Mexican completely ignored his warnings over the intensity of life with the Old Firm.
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Julian Araujo is loving life at CelticCredit: Reuters
Bournemouth’s Ryan Christie knows Araujo wellCredit: Getty
Cherries loan ace Araujo had several spats with Rangers players as he quickly became a Hoops cult hero.
Christie has watched him dive headfirst into the the tense rivalry, and believes he has the personality to handle it.
He said: “I did have a hand in Julian making his move to Celtic.
“He was actually down in Bournemouth a couple of days ago. It’s funny speaking to him about it. Very funny.
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“I tried to warn him before he went up. I said, ‘The fans are a different level up there. Get ready for that’.
“And the first thing he said when I saw him this week was, ‘Why didn’t you warn me?’.
“But I did and he’s absolutely loved it. He’s loved Glasgow too.
“Julian’s picked up a wee knock but he’s desperate to get fit again as soon as he can and get back playing.
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“He’s a good laugh. He’s a good fit. He’s got a big enough personality to go and deal with playing in the Old Firm games.”
Christie, 31, won three Premiership titles during his own Hoops career, and has been entertained by the intense battle at the top this season.
But he is happy to see so many of the Scotland squad involved in huge club games as they build up to the World Cup.
Christie added: “The Scottish league’s properly heated up now.
“It’s amazing to watch it being outside of it.
“It would be a different story if I was in there.
“It’s good and it’s the same with the boys playing across Europe and playing European football, guys like Lewis Ferguson and John McGinn.
“Everyone with clubs who are going down to the wire in major tournaments is cool.
“It’s brilliant. I’m sure that the gaffer’s message will be the same even after this camp.
“If you do well for your club between now and the end of the season, then it will only benefit us going into the summer.”
Scotland’s Ryan Christie returned to Inverness to officially open a new community football complex, cutting the ribbon on the £1.6-million Inverness Caledonian Thistle Community Hub.
The Scottish FA’s Pitching In fund provided over £400,000 of the funding to get the new facility off the ground.
Ryan Christie opened a new community football complex in InvernessCredit: (photo by Donald Cameron / Sportpix / Sipa USA)
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