Former Celtic man Beram Kayal has backed his international teammate Hatem Abd Elhamed to be a success in the Hoops.
The Israeli defender Abd Elhamed is close to joining Neil Lennon’s side after a £1.6million deal was agreed with Hapoel Be’er Sheva in his homeland.
And Kayal, who played in Glasgow between 2010 and 2015, says he had a hand in the transfer.
“This is a big opportunity for Hatem”, the 31-year-old told the Daily Record. “I’m so happy for him to get the chance to join a big club like Celtic. Obviously he asked me for advice because I would class him as a friend.
“What did I say to him? I told him that it will probably be the best day of his life when he signs for Celtic.
“He’s a really good player and, most importantly, he’s ready to be a Celtic player.
“When you are joining such a big club as Celtic then you need experience and he has that now, including making his debut for the international team.”
Will Abd Elhamed make a similar impression to Kayal?
Abd Elhamed will become the third Israeli player to play for Celtic in the last few years. Kayal, himself, can be considered a success at the club despite failing to really reach the potential he showed in his opening season.
The midfielder has gone on to become an important player for his national team and Brighton – who will once again play in the English Premier League this season.
Celtic’s other recent Israeli recruit is still at the club. Similarly to Kayal, Nir Bitton started off brilliantly at the club and has perhaps tailed off a little since.
The 27-year-old is still a relatively important player for us though, and is certainly a big presence in the dressing room. Him still being at Celtic should help Abd Elhamed settle in to his new surroundings even better.
Not a great deal is known about Neil Lennon’s latest recruit. We’ll just have to wait and see him play before making a judgement.
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