Michel-Ange Balikwisha insists he has no regrets over his Celtic move, despite returning to Belgium on loan with KAA Gent.

He was named on the bench for both Champions League qualifying matches against LASK, but did not get on in either leg.

All the upcoming Celtic fixtures are on our fixtures page.

Balikwisha was also left out of the squad for Celtic’s opening two Premiership matches against Dundee and Kilmarnock, as well as the League Cup win away to Dundee United.

He needed football, and the move to Gent has already given him more minutes than he was getting in Glasgow.

Balikwisha said: (TCW), “Celtic remains a fantastic club.

“For me, it was a dream transfer, even though it turned out this way.

“I have absolutely no regrets. It is part of my journey.

“In the summer, there was interest from clubs in France and Spain.

“But given my situation, I felt the need to be close to my family.

“So I decided to return to a familiar environment, to really enjoy football again, close to my family and my girlfriend.

“I feel very good and am incredibly happy to be back on the field with a ball at my feet. The feeling is fantastic, it really has been too long.”

Those comments say plenty.

Balikwisha is not taking a dig at Celtic, but he clearly needed a reset.

He has played seven times for Gent since joining on loan, starting four of his six league appearances and also playing 90 minutes in the Conference League against Aarhus.

His first goal came away to Zulte Waregem, where he played the full match and scored in a 2-0 win.

That matters for a player who had lost form.

Balikwisha is 25 now, not a teenager waiting for his first chance. He needs regular games, and Gent are giving him that.

There is still a Celtic contract there, with the loan running until the end of the season, but his comments make it sound like his mind is on enjoying football again in Belgium.

It points towards a player who knows the move did not work out and is happier being somewhere familiar.

Balikwisha may yet rebuild his value at Gent, but his Parkhead future looks more distant than ever.