"If I knew what I know now"; Celtic winger Marian Shved may need convincing

By Euan Davidson

February 4, 2021

Celtic winger Marian Shved has expressed a tinge of regret over signing for the club.

The Ukrainian, currently on loan at KV Mechelen in Belgium, has ostensibly opened the door on a permanent move to the country.

Shved turned down the chance to join Belgian side Genk before accepting an offer from the Bhoys. Suffice it to say, it hasn’t really worked out for him in the East End of Glasgow. He’s only made 3 competitive appearances for the Bhoys since joining in 2019 [Transfermarkt].

Speaking to Belgian news outlet GVA, Shved made some concerning comments. The winger said:

“[Genk] even made a higher offer than Celtic. But after consultation with my brokers [agent], we ultimately opted for Celtic.

“In retrospect, that may not have been the right choice. If I knew what I know now, I might have chosen the Belgian league and signed with Genk.

“I don’t want to talk about Celtic. I am sitting here now and I am good here. We will see what happens.”

Shved in scoring form for Celtic / (Photo by Craig Williamson/SNS Group via Getty Images)

Celtic winger Marian Shved and his new attitude might help club in long-run

Shved clearly didn’t do enough in training to impress Neil Lennon. Equally, he had a tough start to life in Belgium, with Mechelen manager Wouter Vrancken openly criticising his attitude and application.

Since that rocket from his temporary boss, however, Shved has impressed. He’s scored 3 league goals for the Jupiler League side, and his stock has risen substantially over a short period of time.

With James Forrest missing for much of the season, and Celtic lacking numbers in wide areas, it’s not hard to imagine the Ukrainian making an impact this year.

To his credit, he has scored for Celtic. In Champions League qualifying last season, Shved made the difference late on against Nomme Kalju [BBC]. Fine, it made for a 7-0 aggregate score in that tie, but a goal’s a goal.

KV Mechelen have an option to buy Shved outright, but it’s unlikely that the Celtic winger would join the club permanently if other offers are on the table. Alternatively, Shved could come back and impress for the Bhoys under new management in the summer.

Either way, prepare for a saga. What a difference a month has made for the Ukrainian.