Arne Engels savouring Celtic view from the top but warns against wandering eyes with Rangers in sight
Arne Enegls has heard Scotland is jam packed with stunning scenery but the Celtic midfielder has been too busy enjoying the
view from the top of the Premiership.
The Belgian playmaker feels settled in Glasgow and relishes his new life at Parkhead. Engels has been made to feel right at home and has jumped in and embraced Scottish life. But there’s been no time for sightseeing with the games coming thick and fast since his £11m arrival from Augsburg in the summer.
Engels said: “It’s been really nice. Everybody’s really nice and it’s an amazing country. So settling in has been easy for me. In the team, the boys are all fantastic guys. What do I like about Scotland? Just the people actually. Everybody’s so nice to each other. That makes me feel really welcome. Also there are some really beautiful places in Scotland and Glasgow is also nice. Have I seen a lot? Not really because we have so many games. And if it’s a rest day, I need to use it properly. But I’ve seen a few places and it has been really good.”
Engels had a spell out of the Celtic starting line up with boss Brendan Rodgers wanting to take the 21-year-old out of the firing line after a slight dip in form. It seemed to do the trick as he was restored to the side on Boxing Day and responded with a slick display as the Hoops brushed aside Motherwell in a 4-0 win to move 12 points clear at the top.
Engels notched a penalty opener before half time and the Belgium has become the go-to guy from the spot for Celts. It was a problem role last term with Celts struggling to slot from 12 yards at times.
But Engels has now buried four penalties – and converted another crucial one in the League Cup shootout win against Rangers. He said: “I’m confident in my shooting ability. That makes it easier for me to take a penalty. But it’s always nice to help the team and grab a goal.
"I’m always training on taking penalties. It’s not something I really have to think about. Everybody is training – you saw that in the cup (final) that everybody was taking their penalties really well.”
Celtic had four different scorers against Well with Daizen Maeda, Nicolas Kuhn and Reo Hatate all notching after the break as the Hoops warmed up for Sunday's’s clash against St Johnstone before the big Old Firm clash at Ibrox on January 2.
The Well result was the perfect response after a draw with Dundee United and Rodgers’ men are bang in form at a vital stage of the season. Engels is determined to play his part in the big push and said: “Everybody knows that you need to perform here and everybody is doing really well.
“We are all pushing each other. So that’s a really nice competition in the team and that helps us to perform every game. When we all perform well then that creates wins.
“We create many chances and keep a clean sheet. It’s really nice to have the confidence behind you with players who can defend well. Then you can see that if we attack, we can create a lot of chances and can score.”
Incredibly, the Dundee United stalemate was the first time Celts failed to notch all season in Scotland – and they have only hit less than two in two games all term. It’s ominous form for the rest and Engels is out for another smooth ride on Sunday against Saints.
The big playmaker knows Old Firm fever is already building in Glasgow – but it’s not reached the Celtic dressing room. Engels said: “No, we just talk about the next game.
“We don’t look ahead to the next one because then you forget the important things. You need to win every game here, so you need to be focused all the time.
“We have shown we are in a good place. It’s now up to us to keep the focus. We have already shown this season that we are always ready for every game.”
