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Filip Benkovic: 'Leaving Leicester City to join Celtic best option for me'

Benkovic: 'Celtic was best option for me'
© Reuters
Defender Filip Benkovic says that both he and Leicester City boss Claude Puel agreed that a loan move to Celtic was the best move for him this summer.

Leicester City defender Filip Benkovic has claimed that a loan switch to Celtic was the best move for him at this stage of his career.

Benkovic only moved to the King Power Stadium in August, but the centre-back has been allowed to spend at least the first half of the season in Scotland with Celtic.

The Croatian has said that while he has "respect" for Leicester, both he and manager Claude Puel agreed that there were benefits in spending time gaining regular football at the Glasgow giants.

The 21-year-old told the Daily Record: "I was at Leicester for three weeks and it was great. The price tag was nothing to do with me, but I didn't want to spend all season on the bench so I spoke to the manager and told him how much I respect the club, but I want to improve and the only way to do that is to get games.

"I'm young, I need the minutes on the park and the manager agreed with me. I want to play as much as possible, so a season-long loan with Celtic was agreed and Leicester has the option of recalling me in the winter.

"I think this is the best option for me for preparing for football in England and their Premier League - that's why I am delighted to go to Celtic."

Benkovic played just 28 minutes in an EFL Cup tie against Fleetwood Town before signing for Celtic.

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Filip Benkovic in action for Dinamo Zagreb on May 24, 2018
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TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
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1Celtic220085275884
2RangersRangers110074245078
3Hearts20114637963
4Kilmarnock10104334952
5St Mirren21014246-446
6Dundee20024659-1341
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1Hibernian21014854-642
2Aberdeen22003749-1241
3Motherwell21015053-340
4Ross County21013459-2533
5St Johnstone20022550-2531
RLivingston21012563-3821
 
First Phase
1Celtic33246380265478
2RangersRangers33243672234975
3Hearts33195946341262
4Kilmarnock33131284334951
5St Mirren33127143843-543
6Dundee331011124454-1041
7Hibernian33912124451-739
8Motherwell33813124651-537
9Aberdeen33811143549-1435
10St Johnstone33710162446-2231
11Ross County3379173256-2430
RLivingston3339212259-3718


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