Nir Bitton's agent has defended the Celtic midfielder after he was sent home early from international duty by Israel manager Elisha Levy.

Bitton played no part in Israel's 3-0 victory in Albania in World Cup qualifying Group G after refusing to follow Levy's instructions during a training session.

Levy said: "A manager must be able to make unpopular decisions and that's what I've done wherever I've worked."

Responding to the comments, Bitton's agent, Dudu Dahan, said: "Nir told the coaching staff in complete innocence that he still had not warmed up and the manager drew his conclusions from that.

"Every manager that has coached Nir over the past decade in Israel and abroad and for the Israeli national team will tell you about zero disciplinary problems and zero disobedience of instructions on the professional and personal levels.

"Nir has always been and will remain exemplary as a sportsman and as a person. Nir respects the manager's decision and wished the team every success in Albania.'