Arne Engels to show old mentor Philippe Clement no compassion, as Celtic star vows to be brutal
Arne Engels insists he’ll show former mentor Philippe Clement no mercy as he focuses solely on on paying back his bumper Parkhead price tag.
The Belgian ace landed at Celtic in a record £11m deadline day move from Augsburg – and made a quick fire debut from the bench against his former Club Brugge boss in the Old Firm clash 10 days ago. Engels helped fire the Hoops to a 3-0 victory over Rangers and he warned his old gaffer he’s out to be top dog in Glasgow.
The 21-year-old said: “It was nice to see him. Did he say, ‘Good luck, but not too much good luck?!’ Yes, exactly like that! But it’s always a bit joking. He said it was a good step for me. We spoke a bit about our last years together. Of course he helped me also in my development as a youth player at Brugge. So he was good for me then. But now I am a Celtic player and I will always do everything I can to beat everybody. So, yes, obviously, that is my aim. It’s normal in football you see each other
Engels got his first taste of life with the Hoops from the bench in the big derby win and he insisted he won’t be overawed by his record transfer fee. When asked if the bumper move brought pressure or motivation he said: “Motivation, pure motivation.
“I’m a relaxed guy and I just want to enjoy football, and that’s what I’ve been doing really well, otherwise they would not pay that sort of fee. I think I’m on the right path and making the right steps, and this is the right one for me.”
“It’s nice to see this and to experience it, and I also believe in myself because I think that’s even more important than other people believing in me. But yeah, it’s a really nice feeling that you see they did everything to get you. They paid obviously a big amount for me and I want to return a lot for the club.”
Celtic splashed the cash for Engels but landed one of the most highly-rated young players on the continent. The Belgium cap was attracting plenty of attention across Europe but admitted his heart was quickly sold on Celts.
Engels said: “Of course, sometimes you hear some things, but Celtic was the main option for me actually. To come here was clear in my head, so it was an easy choice.
“I think it’s a really big club, it’s the biggest club in Scotland. They play every time for the championship and for the cups and everything, so I think it’s obvious that it’s a step forward for me. Also, with the new format of the Champions League, I think it can be really special for us.
“I just want to be in my best form and perform like I always do. That’s why they did it. It’s up to me now to adapt to the situation and to the team. It’s an amazing team. Everyone is speaking to me really well and is teaching me a lot, so I think it’s going to be really easy to integrate and to perform
