Celtic: Arne Engels unimpressed by club record fee

Engels has played more than 50 games in the Bundesliga and made his debut for Belgium on Friday as a substitute in the 3-1 win over Israel, two days before his birthday.

However, he believes playing for Celtic will help him further and that it is “a great team” and that “everyone is already teaching him a lot”.

“It’s a very big club,” he said. “I think it’s the biggest club in Scotland – they play for the championship and cups every time.

“So obviously this is a step forward for me and I think with the new format of the Champions League it can be really great and special.

“The pressure to win every game, that’s something I want to experience.”

Engels moved to Germany 18 months ago after completing his youth training at Club Brugge.

“I left home very early and I had to sort things out for myself and take care of myself,” he said.

“It helped me grow up really quickly – actually faster than I expected. I’ve always believed in myself and that’s why I took the step there and that’s why I took the step here, because I believe in myself and I want to show what I can do.”

Engels played for Brugge’s B team, while current Rangers manager Philippe Clement was in charge. The two exchanged greetings at Celtic Park, before Engels made his debut as a substitute in his team’s 2-0 derby win.

“I’ve worked with him, so it’s normal that we see each other,” Engels said, adding that while it was “nice to see him,” it was also good “to beat him.”