Samaras heads to the desert...but he won't regret quitting Celtic

The big fellow failed to fire after joining West Brom at the end of his contract with Celtic last summer.

Gary Hooper is another who went from being a first-pick, chasing trophies and enjoying huge European nights to spending a lot of time on the bench at a club where they were fighting for survival and now promotion.

I am sure they have been lucrative moves for both men.

But making such a leap can affect your confidence and perspective.

Ironically, Sami was playing some of his best stuff in the final season at Celtic, and had become a really important player in the big European games.

That will all seem like a million miles away when he starts playing in Saudi Arabia where the standard is nothing like as high as it is in England's top flight.

There is no room for regrets in football. A deal could not be agreed between him and Celtic, so the parting of the ways was inevitable.

Did Kris Commons take note of this before deciding to commit to a new contract?

Well, like Sami, he has always said he and his family are really settled here, at a club where he has produced the best football of his career.

I am sure he follows the fortunes of his former team-mates, and, especially his close pal, Gary Hooper.

But, every case is different, and everyone has to do what they believe is right for them, as Kris and Sami are doing now.

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