‘Not his fault’ – John Hartson hits out at what he is hearing about Arne Engels at Celtic

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Arne Engels’ first season in Celtic colours could finish in the perfect fashion.

Celtic are on course for the Treble, if they beat Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup final on May 24, and Engels has played a huge part in it all.

Captain Callum McGregor is the first name on the teamsheet in the middle of the park, and then it’s Reo Hatate, but Engels has managed to cement his place alongside those two.

This is despite the high quality of last season’s loan star Paulo Bernardo and fellow summer signing Luke McCowan behind him.

You may find that there has been more noise around Engels than most, and whilst it’s fair to equally praise and criticise what he does on the pitch.

John Hartson doesn’t like how the rising Belgium star is getting beaten with a certain stick he isn’t responsible for.

• READ MORE: Celtic fans think there’s only one candidate for club’s Young Player of the Year award

John Hartson defends Arne Engels at Celtic

With Matt O’Riley’s club-record sale in the summer, his exit left a big void in Celtic’s midfield, and a lot of money was in the pot to spend.

Celtic backed their manager and paid a record-breaking club transfer fee of £11 million for Engels from the German side, Augsburg.

But Hartson doesn’t like this talk around the 21-year-old’s price tag, and how he isn’t worth it, by stating that ‘it’s not his fault’ that Celtic paid that fee for him, as he told Go Radio.

“He has done well,” said Hartson. “He is young. He knows himself that he can improve, but it’s his first season.

“Can I just say as well. He plays no part in that transfer fee. He doesn’t hold his hands up and say, ‘look, this is what I am worth’. That’s discussed between the two clubs.

They look at his appearances. They look at his level. His age. His potential and where he could fit into Celtic. All these things are factored before arriving at the club.

“I think he can only get better. He has physical presence. He gets around the pitch. Remember, as well, he is competing with a really strong midfield at Celtic.

“Bernardo, McCowan has come in, McGregor and Hatate. They have got good players in there. I think Engels has played his fair share of games.

“I went to Wimbledon for £7.5 million in 1999. Yeah, 25 years ago. It’s over £100 million now. But I can’t say to anybody I was worth that. It had nothing to do with me. It’s the two clubs. It has nothing to do with Engels.

“When people are saying, ‘he’s not worth that’, it’s not his fault. If we had signed him for £3 million, people would have still said, ‘he isn’t worth £3 million’.”

Engels’ stats at Celtic in his debut campaign

When O’Riley first joined Celtic under Ange Postecoglou, he showcased promise and looked like a steady player.

But then, when Rodgers came into the building, and after O’Riley had settled down, he exploded and proceeded to become the best player in Scotland.

There is no reason why, after a season of getting to know what the Premiership is about, Engels can’t explode and go to the next level in the coming years.