RYAN CHRISTIE has responded to critics who say he swapped Celtic for a 'small club' last summer when the Scotland internationalist sealed a move to Bournemouth.

The 27-year-old signed a three-year deal with the English Championship club on deadline day in August and came under fire from some supporters who felt he had taken a step down in his career.

Christie says he was aware of the barbs from fans at the time but ignored them - and now that he is happy and settled within Scott Parker's side, he is certain he made the right decision.

Asked by the Times what he made of people who accused him of taking a step down in his career, Christie replied: "Yes, I heard a bit of that.

"But having played for Celtic for a few years, you learn to ignore quite a few comments that are made.

"The decision to leave Celtic and come here was made over a period of time, and I knew deep down that it was the right decision.

"Every time I sat down last year with my family and my girlfriend we knew this was what I wanted to do: come to England.

"And once I came down here last summer, and joined the team and started playing, I knew I'd made the correct decision. That immediately put me at ease and I've been enjoying it ever since."

Christie added that he is enjoying playing in a more competitive league after years of dominance at Parkhead. Playing in the English second tier, where every team is capable of beating the other, presents a fresh challenge that the midfielder is relishing.

"I'm playing in a much more competitive league, I would say," Christie said.

"I don't think I've ever seen a league before where literally all the teams can beat each other. The gap from the top to the bottom is not as big as you'd expect, and it's ultra-competitive.

"It is also very physically demanding, which I've noticed in some of the games.

"But I think I've come here at a right age when I'm a bit more grown up and a bit more adult to deal with that. The other side of that is, because every other team comes to our ground bringing their own danger and attacking threat, you need to be so switched on in and out of possession.

"Playing for Celtic at Celtic Park, you felt it was only a matter of time before you scored, and sometimes the team you were playing didn't offer a threat the whole game.

"But in this league you have to be far more aware off the ball, and that's actually a part I enjoy. Scott Parker is also so good in the way he sets us up, with so much detail going into each game."