Arne Engels has praised Celtic captain Callum McGregor as the teammate he looks up to most, following his own nomination for the PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year award. The Belgian midfielder arrived at Cetic Park last summer from Augsburg for a club-record fee of £11 million.
Engels has taken some stick this season, but at just 21, he’s held his own in his first year at Celtic. He’s not quite lived up to the hefty price tag just yet, but there have been clear signs of the talent the Hoops paid big money for.
Engels has become a regular in the middle of the park for Brendan Rodgers and is trusted to take corners and penalties. He’s chipped in with a few goals and assists from set-pieces, showing the technical quality that made Celtic go after him in the first place.
However, he is loving learning from Celtic skipper Callum McGregor in particular.
He said: (TCW), “Not even every game, but every day in the training sessions, they are showing their qualities,” he said. “They are showing how good they are, and you see it also in all the games that he played – he (McGregor) is fantastic.”
“You look up to these guys, and you are trying to steal some things that you can add to your game to improve yourself. He has been fantastic with all of the boys actually. You are looking at everybody and trying to get some things out of everybody, making yourself better in the process.”
Celtic’s Callum McGregor celebrates after winning the Scottish Premiership REUTERS/Russell Cheyne
With the Premier Sports Cup already secured after a dramatic penalty shootout win over Rangers in December, and the league title wrapped up in style with a 5-0 thumping of Dundee United at Tannadice on Saturday, Celtic have enjoyed a dominant domestic campaign.
Brendan Rodgers’ side clinched the title with four games to spare and now turn their focus to the Scottish Cup Final next month, where they have the chance to seal a treble.
