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26th August 2018
05:41pm BST
He missed Celtic's Champions League defeat to AEK Athens, their biggest games of the season, claiming that he was injured. Brendan Rodgers said that Boyata was fit to play, suggesting that he simply refused to play. Sevilla are said to also be interested in signing the Belgian, who joined Celtic from Manchester City in 2015, so he may still leave Celtic Park this summer.
He did, however, return to training earlier this week and Rodgers named him in Celtic's starting line-up for the match against Hamilton Academical.
And, if Sunday's match is to be his last for the club, he at least left in style. The defender scored the only goal of the game, tapping the ball home after it landed it in his path from Leigh Griffiths' corner.
Boyata's teammates rushed over to him to celebrate the goal, suggesting that they have no issue with him despite his standoff with the club. Yet, it wasn't quite that simple amongst fans in attendance.
A section of Celtic fans protested against Boyata's inclusion in the starting team, holding up a banner that read "Boyata - not fit to wear the jersey".
https://twitter.com/ClydeSSB/status/1033716020874305536
Boyata himself didn't appear to know how to react upon scoring the goal.
He didn't celebrate finding the net, even when his teammates came over to congratulate him.
On social media, Celtic fans found the funny side of what has become an awkward situation.
https://twitter.com/CelticFC/status/1033736236232597504
https://twitter.com/TattiBojangles1/status/1033736281723944960
https://twitter.com/sc32ie/status/1033736650613043200
https://twitter.com/AdamLynch27/status/1033737660647596032
https://twitter.com/Tay1or1888/status/1033736559374286848
https://twitter.com/delbhoy007/status/1033736400854831104Explore more on these topics:
