Brendan Rodgers shares thoughts on Arne Engels and Luke McCowan Celtic debuts

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Celtic cruised to a 3-0 win over Rangers in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday and even had the luxury of handing two players their debuts.

Arne Engels and Luke McCowan only arrived at Celtic Park late on Friday night after deadline day transfers but were both allowed the opportunity to show their skills by the end of the derby win.

Engels came into the match after an hour to replace the impressive Paulo Bernardo, while Luke McCowan was brought on with 15 minutes remaining in place of Reo Hatate.

Combined, they only made 39 touches so it’s far too early to make judgements on their worth as Celtic players.

However, Brendan Rodgers is excited by their potential and is already encouraged by their derby cameos.

Rodgers enjoys ‘elegant’ Engels and hard-working McCowan

He said in a post-match press conference when asked about McCowan [Celtic Way]: “It’s so nice for him. I think it was a dream for him to get out there.

“It’s one of those games that bring a different aspect to the bones in your legs. He’s come onto the pitch and worked hard with some really nice touches. He’s a player over the course of the season that will be important for us.

“Great for him, and great for Arne Engels to come in, you just see his elegance on the pitch and for a young guy he’s got huge potential. That’s why we brought him in. There’s lots of growth in all of the players.”

Celtic’s depth on full display vs Rangers

The strength of the Celtic bench for the derby was noticeable and a talking point for supporters before the game. There were several game-changers and star players ready to be involved.

That’ll be crucial as the season develops and there are inevitable injury or fitness issues. Unless there’s a serious crisis then Rodgers should be able to maintain a fantastic eleven on the pitch.

It’s just the start for Engels and McCowan but they’ll get plenty of minutes quite quickly with Celtic’s schedule getting a lot busier after the international break. Everyone is looking forward to seeing what they can really do.