Maik Nawrocki finally hits the ground running at Hannover 96

The 24-year-old Polish defender was sent out on loan this summer by former manager Brendan Rodgers after falling out of favour in the Celtic first team.

However, his time on loan in Germany has been disrupted by multiple injuries that has so far sidelined him for much of his stint with Hannover.

Despite the setbacks, Nawrocki was handed his first start for Hannover in their derby against Eintracht Braunschweig, delivering a standout performance that earned him Man of the Match honours in their 3–0 victory.

That match marked his first appearance since netting a goal in Celtic’s 5–1 win over Aberdeen at Pittodrie in May – one of just three starts he made last season, including an unexpected selection for a Glasgow Derby encounter against theRangers at Celtic Park, which ended in a 3–2 defeat.

Hannover manager Christian Titz suggested that Nawrocki’s previous experience in high-pressure derby matches influenced his decision to give the defender his first start.

Speaking via Glasgow Times, Titz said: “Maik played in our final training session and I decided he was ready to start in the derby. He played because he’s fully fit again.”

“Maik is a strong tackler and a powerful header, who is well suited for a game like this because he’s used to it from his past in Glasgow. He has experience of a derby game because I know he has played in the Old Firm (sic) match. He stayed calm, even when things got hectic.”

Celtic paid £4.3 million to sign the defender from Legia Warsaw, and Hannover hold the option to make the move permanent once his loan period at the end of the current campaign concludes. He was a Mark Lawwell project signing in the summer 2023 window, so many players coming in, with none making any real impact at Celtic and most making none at all as the Chairman’s boy effectively spent the Jota money.

Conor Spence

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