Former England goalkeeper David James has revealed how a failed flight connection ended a potential move to Celtic, calling it one of the more unusual near-misses of his long career.
The ex-Liverpool and Portsmouth man admitted he was close to joining the Hoops, but travel logistics ultimately got in the way.
James, who went on to sign for Bristol City in 2010, was approached by Celtic around the same period when Neil Lennon was seeking experienced players to rebuild the squad following Artur Boruc’s departure. The move would have seen the veteran shot-stopper become one of the most high-profile English keepers to feature in the Scottish Premiership.
Instead, the 55-year-old chose to remain in England due to the impracticality of the commute from his home in Exeter to Glasgow. Reflecting on the episode, James admitted he was genuinely tempted by the chance to play for Celtic, and to experience an Old Firm derby, but the timing and travel demands made it impossible.
The former England No.1, who earned 53 caps for his country, also praised the intensity of Scottish football and the atmosphere at Celtic Park, describing it as one of the great experiences in world football.
He said: (RecordSport), “I was offered the chance to go to Bristol City, which was an hour away from where I lived. I was also offered the chance to go to Celtic, and from Exeter Airport to Glasgow, it’s a one-hour flight.
“And I looked and I thought, I could actually just fly up. But unfortunately, the flight at the time to Glasgow was in the afternoon, and the flight back to Exeter was in the morning. So it was completely the wrong way around.
“It would have meant moving up to Glasgow, which I wasn’t prepared to do. I would have loved to have played in Scotland, in the Scottish Premiership.
“And I would love to play in the Old Firm derby, that’s for sure. But unfortunately, it didn’t work out.
“But I got to go and play in the Championship again, which was interesting. You can blame EasyJet for not having an early flight to Glasgow.
“I played up there when I was with Liverpool. I know what the atmosphere is like there; it’s incredible.
“Playing in the Scottish Premiership against Rangers, these are the sort of games, and my old teammate Tony Ward from Liverpool talked to me about it, and said it is unbelievable.
“But there’s a part where I look back at my career and I think, well, it’s not that I didn’t have a decent career and that I needed to play in that. I think that would have been greedy.
“But yeah, I go to Scotland every now and again, up to Glasgow. I know fans on both sides. So yeah, it’s something that would have been nice, but, you know, they didn’t miss me.”
James’ comments shed light on one of the lighter moments in Celtic’s recruitment history, a move that might have brought a Premier League veteran north of the border had it not been for an inconvenient flight schedule.
The former goalkeeper’s admission also highlights the pull Celtic have long held for players from England, with the lure of European football and the Old Firm experience often proving irresistible.
Celtic’s Chris Sutton celebrates after scoring against “Old Firm” rivals Rangers during their Scotish premier division match at Celtic Park, Glasgow August 27, 2000.
JJM/PS
For Lennon and Celtic, the search for a reliable keeper that summer eventually led elsewhere, but James’ revelation shows how close he came to wearing the green and white hoops.
Looking back, James remains fond of Scottish football and the unique atmosphere that comes with it, though he can joke now that EasyJet, not Celtic, ultimately decided his fate.
