Michel-Ange Balikwisha has opened up about his turbulent spell at Celtic, claiming the Scottish champions shattered his World Cup ambitions by blocking a temporary exit from Glasgow.

​The DR Congo international joined Celtic in a £5 million transfer, arriving with high expectations following a bright spell at Royal Antwerp. However, his transition to Scottish football proved far tougher than anticipated. Balikwisha struggled to make an impact, going scoreless across 13 appearances and swiftly falling down the pecking order.

​Following his return from the Africa Cup of Nations, Balikwisha found himself entirely frozen out under Martin O’Neill. Desperate for regular minutes to protect his international standing ahead of the World Cup, the winger sought a swift departure, but Parkhead chiefs refused to sanction a short-term move.

​”Martin O’Neill didn’t want me in his squad anymore,” Balikwisha explained in an interview in Belgium. “It was as if I was paying the price for being away. A three-month loan deal from the MLS was offered, but ultimately Celtic refused the loan. That was when I knew immediately the World Cup was gone for me. That hurt because I had contributed to Congo’s qualification.”

​Balikwisha admitted that personal circumstances compounded his professional struggles, noting that his partner and young daughters found life difficult in Glasgow. On the pitch, the sheer physical demands of the Scottish Premiership left him completely overwhelmed, starting with his baptism of fire in an Old Firm derby.

​”When I left Royal Antwerp to sign for Celtic, the manager Mark van Bommel told me I would be flying in Scotland,” he said. “But it turned out I wasn’t physically ready. It is four times more intense than it is in Belgium. In my first match against Rangers, I wanted to ask to be substituted after ten minutes. It is sprint after sprint, even after a throw-in. My thighs caught fire.”

​The winger described the training regime as brutally relentless, recalling how post-session fitness drills pushed players to their absolute limits, with one exhausted teammate even requiring hospital checks after training.

​Now on loan at Gent, the 25-year-old is beginning to rediscover his confidence. He recently ended a 14-month goal drought against Zulte Waregem, managed by former Rangers boss Michael Beale. Balikwisha is eager for Gent to activate their purchase option at the end of the season, viewing the Belgian side as the perfect platform to rebuild his value and engineer a lucrative future transfer.

​”If I perform well here, everyone wins,” Balikwisha stated. “If Gent exercises the option, they can immediately resell me for £15 to £20 million. Everyone would be happy. We are commodities and I have no problem accepting that, as long as our work is rewarded. But money isn’t the thing that I look at when I decide to sign somewhere; it is whether I can play.”