In the aftermath of Celtic’s hard-fought victory over Hearts, the off-the-ball drama we reported on Sunday morning showed Celtic’s new bhoy Arne Engel’s being heckled as he took the vital penalty kick against the Jambos.
While Lawrence Shankland took most of the flak from fans today eagle-eyed fans have now uncovered the true source of the £10m jibe – Hearts defender Craig Halkett.
The incident took place moments before Engels stepped up to take the penalty, with various voices from the Hearts players attempting to apply pressure. Among the shouts of “pressure” from Shankland came a sarcastic comment: “£10m aye right.”
The dig, referencing Engels’ transfer valuation, was clearly intended to throw him off balance. But rather than being affected, Engels kept his cool and calmly slotted the penalty past Craig Gordon, putting his team in control and effectively silencing Halkett’s taunt.
Celtic fans on social media quickly pointed out the moment when Halkett’s voice can be heard, praising Engels for maintaining his composure. Halkett’s attempt to disrupt the penalty seemed to backfire spectacularly, as Engels not only scored but responded in the best possible way—with a goal that put Hearts on the back foot.
This type of stuff goes on all the time on the field of play and we find it funny the Celtic cameras have managed to capture one of these moments. And it’s great for Celtic fans seeing banter backfire on Hearts.
