Neil Lennon has seen his fair share of talent walk through the famous Parkhead gates.
The former Celtic manager has worked with a fair few of them and knows a top talent when he sees one.
Lennon recently named Jeremie Frimpong as his best find as Celtic boss with the Dutchman beating out the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Gary Hooper, Fraser Forster and Victor Wanyama.
So we trust the Northern Irishman to identify a star in the making in Glasgow.
That is why, when Lenny describes Arne Engels as a “real player”, fans should certainly take heed despite the midfielder’s unspectacular start to life with the Hoops.
The Belgian has been questioned by some sections of the support for his early form despite showing signs of being a quality addition to the squad.
He has already provided four goals and six assists from 20 appearances but with Engels’ price tag coming as an £11million record from Augsburg, some fans have perhaps expected a little more from their man.
Lennon, though, is convinced Engels will come good at Celtic Park.
Like our writer Paddy Sinat explained when 67 Hail Hail were invited onto BBC Sportsound to preview the Rangers cup final this afternoon, Engels is still only a young talent.
Neil Lennon is convinced Arne Engels will become a ‘real player’ at Celtic
And he shared Lennon’s thoughts that Engels will become a top player for the club, so long as he’s given the time to do so.
Speaking to the Celtic Way via the Warm Up, Lennon said: “I think Arne Engels will be a good player. He’s probably going through that phase Nicolas Kuhn went through last year.
“It’s the price tag 100 per cent. Everyone’s looking at him saying you are Celtic’s record saying what have you got? You can see that he’s got good attributes and he’s a good athlete and he’s technically good. He just needs a bit more oomph in his game and a bit more game knowledge. All of that will come with experience.
“Don’t forget, Engels is only 21. This is the modern game as we tend to judge players so quickly. I think he’s more of a runner off the ball as he’s got great legs.
Engels’ £11million record price tag could be working against him
“It’s all about the timing of his runs into the box and he just needs to be a little bit better on the ball at times. I think there is also work to be done on the defensive side of his game.
“He’s playing alongside good players like Callum McGregor and Reo Hatate. It’s a good, strong and competitive midfield that Celtic have at the moment at their disposal.
“Even with Luke McCowan and Paulo Bernardo in there they have both got a wee bit more experience than Arne but trust me it will come. I’m sure Brendan will also want to develop the next successful player at the club.
“In a couple of years, Celtic could have a real player on their hands in the shape of Arne.”
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