Celtic captain Neil Lennon has promissed to do everything in his power to convince Stilian Petrov to change his mind and stay at Parkhead.
Lennon was shocked by his team-mate's decision to submit a written transfer request on Friday. Petrov is adamant he will leave despite manager Gordon Strachan being desperate to keep him.
Lennon is also determined to change the Bulgarian midfielder's mind, especially with the Champions League just around the corner.
The 34-year-old said: "Of course I have sympathy (for Petrov wanting a change of scene) because I have played (at Celtic) for a few years myself.
"I said a few years ago that I would not mind having another crack at it down there (England) but I am not so sure about that now.
"Hopefully we will be in the Champions League group stages next year and that is a massive carrot for me. I can understand Stan's thoughts because he has had seven years here and he is a fantastic footballer and a great servant.
"Personally I don't want to see him go and I will try to change his mind. But I have not had a chance to nail him yet."
Lennon believes his friend should think twice about going to the Premiership and could not resist having a pop at the English top flight.
The former Leicester man claims that apart from the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United, the 'boring' Premiership is not all it is cracked up to be, especially compared to playing for Celtic.
The Northern Irishman added: "I can understand why he wants a new challenge but he has got to be pretty careful which club he goes to. I am not sure leaving this club for Fulham or Bolton is in Stan's best interests at this juncture in his career.
"Apart from the top four or five clubs the rest are a bit of a mish-mash really. Some of the games have bored the pants off me."
