Arne Engels has made an impressive start to life at Celtic.
It’s never easy donning those Celtic colours because the pressure is immense, especially when you are the club-record transfer.
But Engels has helped Brendan Rodgers make the perfect start in the Scottish Premiership and then play a key role in Celtic’s dominating Champions League win.
It all started with that penalty against Hearts and he showcased his composure again from the spot when the team put five goals past Slovan Bratislava.
In recent times, questions have been raised and debates have raged as to whether the powers that be splash the cash on players like they should.
Everyone was gutted to see Matt O’Riley leave Celtic, but it was expected, as fans were more concerned about how that £30 million was going to be spent.
Andy Walker expressed how he doubted the Bhoys spending the big money and how he didn’t expect a player like Engels to arrive.
But to his shock, £11 million was put down on the table for the 21-year-old and he has now ‘settled in so quickly’, as he told Go Radio.
Walker admitted that he got it ‘wrong’ with the midfielder and now he is watching him thrive in the middle of the park for his new club.
But Walker also interestingly claimed that Celtic would only allow Rodgers to spend that sort of money and wouldn’t have given that power to past managers.
Arne Engels’ Celtic transfer fee
“What I see is someone with a big reputation now, he has come for a huge fee and you can already see that he has settled in so quickly,” said Walker.
“There has been no setting in period if you like. He has been effective since getting the shirt. You can see that he has got goals in him. He has some key passes. He has some forward passes. He has some killer passes in him. He has good physique, running power and energy.
“He is the type of player every Celtic supporter was wanting the club to sign. Spend a bit of money. That’s where I got it wrong. I didn’t think Celtic would spend at that level. I don’t think they would have done with any other manager. I think they are believing in Brendan Rodgers and the possibility of him taking them a bit further in Europe. And getting them a bit of respectability that maybe was lacking over the last few years.”
Arne Engels has raised the levels at Celtic
What is impressive about the player is that he is effectively replacing O’Riley, so there is that pressure and then repping the champions.
But he has fired pretty much straightaway and also raised the levels, which only helps the team and the club’s bench strength.
READ MORE: Coll Donaldson shares what Falkirk have been saying about facing Celtic in the League Cup
Paulo Bernardo is pretty unlucky not to be starting for Celtic, but to have a man of that quality on the bench just proves the depth the team has.
Even looking towards other players, Adam Idah could lead the line for Celtic and fire them to titles, but he has Kyogo Furuhashi ahead of him.
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