Carlton Cole Labels Celtic a “Mickey Mouse” Club

Former Celtic striker Carlton Cole has opened up about his brief and disappointing stint at the club, describing the environment during his time as “disjointed” and attributing some of his struggles to internal divisions within the team.

Speaking on the Let Me Be Frank podcast with Frank McAvennie, Cole detailed the difficulties he faced during his time in Glasgow, highlighting a split within the medical staff as one of the key issues that affected his performance.

Having arrived at Celtic after a ten-year career at West Ham, Cole signed on a short-term deal but made just a handful of appearances before being released, largely due to fitness issues. Reflecting on his time with the Hoops,

Cole specifically pointed to the medical team as a source of frustration, describing it as divided between a Scottish faction and a Norwegian faction. According to him, this division forced players to “pick a side”.

He said: “I wasn’t looked after the way I thought I should have been. It was disjointed. I was at West Ham for nearly 10 years. So going from that to seeing that.

“From the outside at the time, Celtic looked like a massive club but when you go in and you see it, it was a little bit Mickey Mouse. It wasn’t great.

“For me, the medical team was essential to keep me going and keep me fit. But there were two – it was divided. There was the old faithful, the Scottish medical team and there was the Norwegian medical team as well. They couldn’t really agree, the two medical teams.

“So when you went in, you had to pick a side as a player. It was just really weird for me. That was just one of the things. But I’m not saying it was just that.

“But I’m just saying I was mentally prepared for these things. And it culminated into me not performing.”

Though Cole may feel justified in his criticisms of the internal workings at Celtic during his time there, his meagre return—just one goal in his short spell—tells its own story. Ultimately, if Cole couldn’t perform at what he describes as a “Mickey Mouse” club, it raises questions about his readiness and ability to contribute at that stage of his career.

I think the goal he was ‘involved’ in up at Inverness pretty much sums up his time in Scotland.

For a player who found success elsewhere, perhaps the lessons of his Celtic experience are best left to reflect upon rather than to criticise further.