Former Celtic star Efe Ambrose has made a shock move to Bury FC in the ninth tier of English football.
The 35-year-old defender was crucial in four back-to-back league triumphs for the Scottish giants, as well as their stunning win over Barcelona in the Champions League. He kept the likes of Xavi, Andres Iniesta, and Lionel Messi at bay while goals from Victor Wanyama and Tony Watt earned a 2-1 victory.
Ambrose was pivotal in Nigeria’s 2013 Africa Cup of Nations victory too, earning a spot in the team of the tournament at right-back. Fast forward over a decade and he’s still lacing up his boots, opting to drop down to the North West Counties Premier Division, reports the Daily Record.
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In his first interview with the club’s media, Ambrose shared his enthusiasm on why he’s made the move to Bury, saying: “To bring something different on the pitch, because for me, I try to do something different. I try to bring something to help the team.
“For me I’m a team player first and foremost. I just want to win, that is the most important thing. And the goal is to play, sustain to the tactics of the coach because we cannot do it alone, that’s why we are a team.
“So for me right now, coming to a new place, a different way of playing, the most important thing right now for me is to come and adapt to this style of play. I’m just coming here to do what I can do, to help the team to get back to where they ought to be.”
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Ambrose also turned out against Juventus and AC Milan during his Celtic stay. He left in 2017 after 169 appearances for the club in all competitions and has since had spells at Hibernian, Derby County, Livingston, St Johnstone, Dunfermline and Greenock Morton.
Bury manager Dave McNabb feels that experience will be invaluable to his squad, saying: “Efe is a great character and will certainly help some of the younger players. It’s a brilliant signing for the club and one I hope will excite the fans.”
They’re working their way back up the pyramid following their expulsion from the Football League in 2019, merging with phoenix club Bury AFC last year.