Bournemouth midfielder Ryan Christie issues response over ‘smaller club’ claim

Ryan Christie has issued a response to those criticising his decision to move to Bournemouth after arriving from Celtic last summer. 

Christie arrived from the Scottish giants for £1.5m in August, swapping the Scottish Premiership for the Championship and hopes to be playing Premier League football next season.

After hearing criticism for his decision to move to Bournemouth, Christie has told The Times that he’s learnt how to ignore the external noise. When asked if he’d heard the criticism, Christie said: “Yes, I heard a bit of that. But having played for Celtic for a few years, you learn to ignore quite a few comments that are made.

“The decision to leave Celtic and come here was made over a period of time, and I knew deep down that it was the right decision.”

The Scotland international didn’t stop there as the attacker went onto say that he feels he’s improving as a player due to the more competitive environment he’s playing in: “I’m playing in a much more competitive league, I would say.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a league before where literally all the teams can beat each other. The gap from the top to the bottom is not as big as you’d expect, and it’s ultra-competitive. It is also very physically demanding,”

The Verdict

Ryan Christie has enjoyed a fairly successful season so far on the south coast as he’s been heavily relied upon by Scott Parker.

His creativity has been vital for the Cherries and as Christie points out, playing in the Championship has probably made him a better player.

The Championship is renowned for being the most competitive division in the world and the quality that trickles down from the Premier League only enhances the competitiveness and overall potential of each team.

There isn’t a ‘big