Controversial ex-Aston Villa star Anwar El Ghazi has declared he would be ready to play for Celtic for free because of their fans' support for Palestine.

The Dutch winger hit the headlines in November when he was sacked by Bundesliga club Mainz after he posted a series of messages on social media about the raging Middle East conflict.

He stated that '"Every individual, be it in Palestine or elsewhere, has the right to security, a loving home, and opportunities to grow.'

He was originally only suspended after agreeing to retract his statement, but then saw his contract terminated after backtracking and insisting he didn't agree with the club's retraction.

He said: "I do not distance myself from what I said and stand for humanity and on the side of the oppressed until the last day I breathe."

The 28-year-old former Ajax, Everton, Lille and PSV Eindhoven wide man is currently without a club since the dismissal.

And he made it clear he was hugely impressed with the Celtic fans' show of support for Palestinians before their draw with Kilmarnock on Saturday.

He posted on his social media account: "Celtic FC....I am ready to play for you guys for free."

El Ghazi has been capped twice by the Netherlands, but announced last year he wanted to switch international allegiances and play for Morocco instead.

He made three appearances for Mainz before he was sacked and the last of those was in October last year. He made 119 appearances for Villa and scored 26 goals for them.