Celtic Player Sends Blunt Message to His Critics

Celtic signed Arne Engels from Bundesliga side FC Augsburg in the 2024 summer transfer window for a club-record fee of £11 million. The Belgian international has quickly cemented his place in the starting lineup after his arrival.

The midfielder has scored 10 goals and provided 12 assists for the Hoops in 46 games across all competitions. However, Engels has still faced criticism on a regular basis, with some demanding more consistency and influence in big moments.

The high expectations are understandable, given he plays for the best club in Scotland, along with the fact that he arrived for a record transfer fee. 

However, despite the negative impact such pressure can have on a youngster, Engels seems to be unfazed by criticism.

The 21-year-old has spoken about the lack of impact of criticism on his game. According to The Celtic Way, Engels said: "I don't read a lot so that's a good point that I'm not really watching those things on the internet.

"I just know what I'm doing, I'm still a young player and it's my first season here. I still need to work on things and also settle in.

"Now, I'm really settled in and I know everything now. Everything is also going really well next to the pitch so it's now up to me to focus on my game, and do the things I need to do every day to improve also in the gym and stuff.

"But I think I coped really well with it and I wasn't really stressing because I was believing in my own qualities.

"That's also a good point of me, that I'm not really thinking about the bad things every time but also knowing my qualities and abilities, that I'm capable of trying to do something and trying to get an assist or a goal.

"Yeah, I hope that I can help the team a little bit more with those things, and I'm sure I will."

Celtic are still going for two more domestic trophies this season. So it’s reassuring to see that Engels believes in his ability and is fully focused on the game rather than worrying about what the critics have been saying about him. 

The Hoops are just one point away from securing their fourth consecutive Scottish Premiership title and are also strong favourites to win the Scottish Cup.

Should Celtic fulfil these expectations and claim both trophies, Engels will surely deliver a fitting response to his doubters and silence his critics, having been an integral part of the team throughout the season.