The recipe for Arne Engels success at Celtic as Stephen Craigan offers glowing verdict

Add as preferred source on Google

Celtic midfielder Arne Engels enjoyed a productive afternoon against Heart of Midlothian last weekend in his first start for the club.

For the first time since his record £11 million move from Augsburg, the Belgium international was thrust into the action from the beginning. It is fair to say he didn’t disappoint on a day when the Bhoys ran out 2-0 winners.

After Nicolas Kuhn won a penalty following James Penrice’s handball, Engels was cool as ice from the spot despite the pressure of stepping up to give his side the lead.

Brendan Rodgers praised his performance post-match and made it clear how he plans to refine the new signing positionally, which will only make him a more potent threat from the engine room in months to come.

The Irishman isn’t the only one who can see Engels being a presence in both boxes, with Stephen Craigan swift to offer his glowing verdict on the Dendermonde-born man.

Craigan: Rodgers can take the ‘shackles’ off Engels at Celtic

Speaking on Sportscene, Craigan believes the timing of Engels’ runs will be an area Rodgers will exploit to make his new signing an influential threat who can enjoy the same freedom Matt O’Riley did to break forward.

He explained: “Well, I heard Brendan speaking on Sportsound before the game saying, ‘We will turn him into a goalscoring midfield player’, so whether he’s been someone who plays a little bit deeper, once they influence the game from a little bit deeper.

“Brendan has taken the shackles off and said, ‘listen, the guy you’re trying to replace is Matt O’Riley’, give him that freedom, allow him to get into the box, you can see him, he ghosts in-behind midfield players, he stays far enough away from central defenders so they don’t pick him up.

“The timing of his runs for someone so young, he’s now a Belgian international, so it shows he’s got quality. This kid is only going to get better.”

Arne Engels is already proving his worth to Celtic

The Belgium international may take a while to fully integrate into Rodgers’ tactical framework. Still, his performance against Hearts showed that he has plenty to offer in the engine room.

Overall, the fan reaction to Engels has been very positive, with his cameo against Rangers and exploits last weekend a flavour of what it to come from him in green and white.

Now, the challenge for the man in question is to deliver on the Champions League stage. Coming in with an exciting reputation, he will be determined to showcase why his reputation is growing against Slovan Bratislava this week.