Engels relishing battle for starting spot

Midfielder insists Celtic squad is in good place with qualifiers on horizon

21 Jul 2025 - Glasgow Times

BLAIR MEIKLE

AS with any other transfer window, Brendan Rodgers wants Celtic to keep strengthening. By thumping Newcastle United, his current players served a reminder of the level of quality already in the building. Coasting to a 4-0 victory over Premier League opposition, regardless of what stage of pre-season it comes, is an indication of a squad brimming with ability and confidence in equal measure.

Last season’s record-breaking £ 11million signing Arne Engels recognises recruitment is a normal part of football but insists he and his teammates have shown how good they are already without further additions.

Usually doing their business late in a window, the Scottish champions have already added six to date.

Kieran Tierney and Hayato Inamura bolster the backline while Benjamin Nygren, Shin Yamada and Callum Osmand provide options middle to front. Ross Doohan has returned to the club as a third-choice goalkeeper.

With Tierney and Nygren the two likely to improve the starting XI immediately, Rodgers wants more. But Engels points out the manager already has a very strong side at his disposal.

“We have a really good squad,” the Belgian midfielder said. “And there will be always rumours about players coming in, going. It’s up to us to keep this all inside and to work on the players that are here. You see that today also, that we have a lot of quality already.

“We’ll see what’s going in and going out, we never know, but the squad that is now here is fantastic. All the boys are doing really well.

“Everybody that came in is really impressing us. Everybody is still settling in.

“Also, you see everybody is doing well, is adapting to the system and to the style of play and to also the fitness that we ask from each other.

“I’m really happy with all the guys, not only those two that are coming in and showing themselves in training also. They’ve been really good signings.”

The 21-year-old was an investment for the club when he came in from Augsburg last summer and is already being linked with moves away.

Clubs in Italy are thought to be taking a look but he is taking no heed. His focus remains on the task at hand – winning trophies and performing in the Champions League.

“I’m trying to do my best here and to get ready for the new season,” he said. “There will always be rumours and it’s up to me to just show on the field what I’m up to.

“I’m here at Celtic and I really want to do great for this club and to reach a lot of things, so I’m not really thinking about something else.”

5 FOR 3

Nygren, while he can also operate wide, comes in to add to a midfield already packed with experience and class – Callum McGregor, Paulo Bernardo, Reo Hatate, Luke McCowan and Engels fighting for the three spots.

Therefore, even if the latter does stay put, he will be far from guaranteed first- team football unless he is at the very top of his game.

Like recruitment, that is normal at a club the size of Celtic and another element of life at the club that is water off a duck’s back to him.

He said: “It’s always nice to get a lot of quality players in and it’s up to us then to show ourselves to the manager and to everybody else in the stadium and outside.

“But it’s always going to be competition everywhere where you go, so it’s then just keeping doing the right things that you always do good. There will be always competition.”

One player Engels would be happy to go to great lengths to see sticking around is Daizen Maeda. The Japanese forward scooped player of the year awards and topped Celtic’s scoring charts.

The talented midfielder wouldn’t be opposed to locking his team- mate in a basement until September 1st.

“Hopefully,” he says when that tongue- in- cheek suggestion is put to him. “He’s an amazing player and also really good for us and in the dressing room too. He’s a lovely guy, so hopefully he will stay. We never know what is going on. He would be fantastic for us next year.

“He’s just an amazing person that is really helping us in every kind of aspect of the game.”

A motivation of Engels’ when quitting the Bundesliga for Scotland a year ago would have playing in the Champions League. A run to the knockout stages and then a dingdong battle with Bayern Munich will have whetted the appetite.

But so did the win over a Champions League-level side in Newcastle.

“One hundred per cent,” he admits. “That’s a big goal of ours, to reach the Champions League. In a few weeks, there is a really big game, big games coming up.

“It’s up to us to now get physically really ready for that, and I’m sure we will do really great in those two games. We just want to first get into the Champions League and then we will see how it goes there.

“But we set a really big standard for ourselves in the Champions League and that’s also something that we can reach because we have a really good squad.”

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Tierney feeling the love after receiving warm welcome back

Gavin McCafferty

KIERAN TIERNEY admits his Celtic Park welcome left him emotional after he returned to action in Saturday’s friendly win over Newcastle.

Manager Brendan Rodgers handed Celtic fans the chance to acclaim the left-back when he brought him on for fellow summer signing Hayato Inamura 10 minutes into the second half, moments before making another 10 substitutions.

Although Celtic thrashed the Premier League side 4-0, Tierney’s introduction generated the loudest cheer of the day as fans hailed the 28- year-old’s return six years after leaving for Arsenal.

Describing the moment, Tierney told Celtic TV: “Amazing. I didn’t know what to expect but that was just brilliant. What a feeling.

“I was quite emotional actually, running on to the park like that, but amazing. It was a great day for me.”

The Scotland internationalist was quickly into his rhythm and set up the fourth goal when he crossed for Liam Scales to head home after playing a one-two with Reo Hatate.

Tierney added: “They’re a great team so it just shows the quality that we have got.

“When we play like that we can give anyone a game. Some of the goals we scored were brilliant.”

Having had to win over some fans after returning to Celtic himself last summer, Rodgers was delighted to see Tierney receive the acclaim.

“I wanted him to get a specific welcome back,” he said.

“Just to get him back here at his age where he could easily be playing at the top end of the Premier League, to get a player of that level and that desire to play for Celtic is amazing for us.

“So, it was a great moment and another connection with him and the support.

“And then you see when he’s on there, he’s playing against young Anthony Elanga, who’s a brilliant signing for Newcastle.

“But Kieran’s got pace and power. And then you see how he created the goal with just that explosive speed and the quality.

“So, for us, it’s great to have him here and he’s still finding his fitness. But it was a great moment for him.”

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Palma: It was my call to move on

Mark Walker

LUIS PALMA insists it was his decision to quit Celtic to join Polish side Lech Poznan as he prepares to make a Champions League debut tomorrow with his new club.

The Honduran winger revealed he got advice from his national team manager Reinaldo Rueda before opting to quit the Parkhead club.

Palma is in Poland now and could even be handed his debut for his new club in their Champions League qualifier against Icelandic title winners Breidablik.

But Lech Poznan have had a disastrous start to the season after a Polish Super Cup Final defeat to Legia Warsaw and then a humbling 4- 1 home hammering to Cracovia in their opening league game of the season on Friday.

But Palma is determined to make an impact at his new surroundings.

He said: “I am very happy with the move. I’m delighted to be joining my new club and it was all done very quickly.

“I spoke with Celtic and it was my decision to look elsewhere.

“I don’t know too much about the Polish League, except that it’s a good league, with big stadiums and big clubs.

“I am going to learn a lot about football there. My goal is to play as much as possible and make a good impression.

“I spoke to Reinaldo Rueda about the move, but I did so more as a friend.”