SHOCKING NEWS:Arne Engels contract with Celtic has been terminated..

SHOCKING NEWS:Arne Engels contract with Celtic has been terminated..

Arne Engels has made an incredible start to his Celtic career and fans already love what he has brought to the table.

 

Given that Engels was brought in for a club-record transfer, some might argue that this level of quality was expected.

But it also needs to be noted that the 21-year-old was coming in for Matt O’Riley and he had done wonders for Celtic, especially in his final season.

 

So, there was even more added pressure on the player, yet fast forward to the present and everything seems to be running smoothly so far.

 

Engels hasn’t only got off the mark in Celtic colours, but he is already a first-team starter under Brendan Rodgers, with Paulo Bernardo unlucky not to be starting more games.

The rising Belgian star seems more robust than the man he is seemingly replacing and you could argue that Celtic’s strongest midfield is Callum McGregor, Reo Hatate and Engels.

 

That’s important because the Bhoys have a crucial Champions League clash against Borussia Dortmund around the corner and it will be the team’s toughest test of the campaign.

 

John Hartson lauded Celtic’s new boy when he was told that Barry Ferguson feels that Engels will prove to be a better player than O’Riley.

The former striker thinks it’s a ‘big statement’ and how he has been ‘really, really impressed’ by the big-money purchase, as he told Go Radio.

 

Will Arne Engels be better than Matt O’Riley?

“That’s a big statement from Barry (Ferguson),” said Hartson. “He would know. He was a fantastic midfield player himself.

 

“Engels, he has come in, really, really impressed with him. He’s a physical presence in the middle of the park. Exactly what Celtic needed, when you have the likes of McGregor in and around him. Whether it’s going to be Bernardo or Hatate.

 

“I still think in a game with that sort of magnitude (Dortmund) next week. I think Hatate starts. I think he is more of a goal threat, he likes to get forward a bit more.”

Arne Engels against Borussia Dortmund

It’s these types of games where Engels can take his game in Celtic colours to serious heights and he can become a hero pretty much straight away.

 

READ MORE: Former Celtic youth player makes debut for Aston Villa at 17

 

Celtic have made an outstanding start to their Champions League campaign, but they are fully aware that games away at Dortmund are the ones where they have failed to previously deliver.

 

But there is an air of optimism right now and the team is in a far better head space than it has ever been in Europe for a long time.