Arne Engels has become hugely reliable from the spot since joining Celtic for a club record £11m from Augsburg in the summer.
The Belgian international has taken four in-game penalties for the Hoops this season, netting them all. He also remained composed from the spot in the Premier Sports Cup final, bagging his side’s third of the shootout.
Celtic struggled from 12 yards last campaign. Luis Palma, Adam Idah, and David Turnbull were all guilty of missing penalties.
Engels, however, has rid the Scottish Premiership champions of such woes, remaining continually reliable from the spot.
He recently opened up on his record: “I’m always training on it,” he said (The Herald).
“It’s not really something that I’m really thinking about or something. I’m just training it like everybody’s training, and everybody’s ready to take it.
“So, like you saw in the cup (final), everybody is taking them really well. And that’s the most important thing that we can all take a good penalty and that we can all score.
“I think I’m just confident in my shooting abilities. So, that makes it more easy for me to take a penalty. I think it’s nothing really special that I’m thinking about.”
“I’m just doing it.”
As well as remaining dependable from the spot, Engels’ corner-taking abilities have been a huge weapon for his club this season.
The 21-year-old is a mean set-piece taker, and, despite criticism from certain Celtic supporters, he’s registered 12 goal contributions across 23 appearances in all competitions since his summer move.
Engels will only get better with time, too, and shouldn’t be judged on his hefty price tag which he himself cannot control.
As a young player moving to a new club, country, and culture, he was never going to set the heather alight immediately, but he has shown his abilities in flashes and why, eventually, he’ll undoubtedly become a key player for Celtic.
