When Benjamin Siegrist signed for Celtic from Dundee United in July 2022 there were high hopes that his career was on an upward trajectory.

Siegrist, 32, joined the Hoops on a four-year deal and was supposedly signed as a backup option for then-goalkeeper Joe Hart following a superb spell at Tannadice with Dundee United. Hart even welcomed Siegrist to Celtic with a green heart emoji on social media. He was well aware that he wouldn't be the first choice under Ange Postecoglou when the Aussie arrived at Parkhead, but he found himself recently slipping down to third in the pecking order, with Scott Bain the preferred option in Hart's absence.

Now the Swiss stopper has revealed that he has cut a deal with Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers to exit the club for free despite having two years left to run on his current deal. Speaking to Swiss-German language outlet Blick, Siegrist revealed that he is calling time on his days at Celtic and whilst he alluded to retiring altogether in Australia further down the line, he hinted that he is keen to continue his goalkeeping career somewhere in Europe.

The goalkeeper explained that his partner, radio host and TV personality, Brittany Hockley, can also continue her media work away from her native Australia. Siegrist and Hockley are due to be married soon and the No.1 is no stranger to posting photos of the couple on Instagram mingling with Hockley's celebrity friends, who include Australian actress Rebel Wilson. 

READ MORE: Celtic fringe player appears to confirm summer transfer exit

However, Siegrist was openly frank about quitting Celtic as he vowed never to return to Scotland. He said: "After my last day at work, I’ll leave as soon as possible. And I’ll never come back here (to Celtic). No. I’m going to retire there (Australia). But not yet. Britt has already indicated that she could do her podcast from Europe. We’re excited."

It is the most curious case of Benjamin Siegrist.

(Image: Agency)

His comments this week are in stark contrast to the day he was unveiled as a Celtic goalkeeper. Siegrist seemed up for the fight and there was a genuine belief that it would soon be a matter of time before he relieved the former England and Manchester City goalkeeper of the starting gloves and became a a permanent fixture in between the sticks.

Back in June 2022, Siegrist had this to say as he relished the battle with Hart and Bain to try and secure the undisputed No.1 spot. He said: "Joe needs no introduction, Joe was a role model and he’s still a role model for me.

"I’ll look up to him and he’s such an imposing figure in the goal with loads of experience – winning titles in England and obviously just being around him, I want to learn as much as possible but I want to compete, I want to push him, he’s certainly going to push me all the way.

"I look forward to the whole Goalkeeping Union with Scott Bain as well – the GK Union, we’re special so I look forward to a good relationship with all the goalkeepers.”

READ MORE: Why Celtic need to recruit Joe Hart's replacement quickly

He was named in the Premiership Team of the Year before he left for Celtic it was a particular display against the men in green and white that caught the eyes of the Parkhead club.

Yet the past two years have yielded just two career games for Siegrist with both coming in the League Cup victories against Ross County in Dingwall (4-1) and Motherwell (4-0) at Fir Park respectively. He was denied a move to Austrian champions Sturm Graz in the January transfer window when the Bundesliga side pursued him for well over a month, before ditching their interest in the 11th hour. Aberdeen was also reputedly keeping tabs on Siegrist's movements but his comments to Blick suggest that he has no intention of furthering his playing career in Scotland.

He admitted that he wasn't too impressed with the standard of Scottish football's top flight during his six-year stint. In a scathing parting shot to the Scottish game, Siegrist said: "In our top league, eight or nine teams still play a kind of kick 'n' rush. They think this is a promising method, which is legitimate, of course.

"If you look at many of the pitches in Scotland, it's difficult to play a neat passing game. The tactics are then adapted to the level of the players."

How will Siegrist best be remembered then? Those of an Arab persuasion will convince you that they saw the best of the shot-stopper during his days on Tayside. That can't be argued.

The Celtic supporters will look back on Siegrist as a peculiar signing and a player who didn't fulfil his true potential and undoubted talent. Granted he wasn't helped with a calf injury in his first season that ruled him out for 180 days and saw him miss 26 matches of the 2022/23 season. He never really threatened to dislodge Hart or Bain from the No.1 and No. 2 positions respectively at any time during his spell at the club. Siegrist never fully got into his stride at Celtic, if the truth be told.

(Image: Agency)

During the 1980s when 'Only An Excuse' was at the height of its fame Jonathan Watson in his famous Hugh McIlvanney lampoon voice described a particular signing thus: "He came... he saw... he went away again!" Those words are probably most apt for Siegrist. Now, Siegrist is destined to enter Celtic's quiz book Hall of Fame in years to come. If the answer is Ross County's Alex Iacovitti. What is the question? The question will be who was the only player to score past Siegrist during his short time as a Celtic goalkeeper?

It is a most curious case indeed. The curious case of Benjamin Siegrist. Jock Stein once famously said: "Unlike many other Celts, I cannot claim that Celtic was my first love … but I can say that it will be my last love.”

Joe Hart came to Celtic and fell in love with the club. Celtic will be the goalkeeper's last footballing love. Benjamin Siegrist also fell in love. Siegrist just fell in love with Brittany Hockley and not Celtic.

Siegrist chose love over gloves. No Celtic supporter should ever blame him for that.