New Celtic recruit Jeremie Frimpong says it was a display against the club for Manchester City that earned him a big move to Glasgow.
The new Hoops number 30 sealed his switch from the English champions on Scottish Deadline Day – signing a four-year contract in the process.
The 18-year-old never made a first-team appearance for Pep Guardiola’s side but he was a regular for their under-23 side. And that’s where he first caught the eye of the Celtic recruitment team.
“We played Celtic’s Under-23s and it wasn’t long after that I found out Celtic were interested in signing me,” Frimpong told the official Celtic website. “That was incredible, and as soon as I heard, I was excited and I wanted to take this opportunity.
“I started going on YouTube to watch Celtic, and when they were on TV, I watched the games. I watched Sunday’s match against Rangers. What a game! Celtic were brilliant and deserved to win.
“Now I can’t wait to play at Celtic Park in front of the fans. Hopefully when I get on the pitch and do something good, I’ll hear the noise for me.”
There will be no immediate pressure on Frimpong at Celtic
Frimpong will take on the role of Celtic’s third right-back, effectively replacing Anthony Ralston who recently left for St. Johnstone. The teenager will play understudy to both Hatem Abd Elhamed and Moritz Bauer in his early days, but with the latter’s deal only a loan, he may say an opportunity to earn some game time next season.
Celtic do reportedly hold an option to buy in the deal for Stoke defender Bauer but such clauses can often mean little a year down the line.
What Celtic have done with the signing of Frimpong is given themselves hope for the future. The Englishman is under no immediate pressure at the club. He will likely slot into the development team for some game time with a view to making the first-team jump in coming seasons.
From the outside, it seems like more astute business from Celtic.
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