Daizen Maeda, Kasper Schmeichel react to Arne Engels’ Celtic announcement
Celtic stars Daizen Maeda and Kasper Schmeichel reacted to their teammate Arne Engels’ announcement on social media.
Having become the Hoops’ record signing in the summer, after joining from Bundesliga side Augsburg for £11million [Sky Sports].
With a gaping hole in their midfield after Matt O’Riley’s departure to Brighton, the 21-year-old had big shoes to fill at Parkhead.
In spite of his young age and harsh critics, the Belgian midfielder has been a consistent performer for the Scottish champions, although there remains a sense that Celtic are yet to see Engels at his best.
However, whilst some on the outside are unimpressed so far, those within the club like what they have seen, and that was evidenced at the Hoops’ end-of-season awards.
Arne Engels voted Celtic’s Young Player of the Year
Having played his part in Celtic’s controversial 1-1 draw with Rangers on Sunday (4 May), Engels then attended the Hoops’ Player of the Year awards, being named as the club’s Young Player of the Year.
The Belgian midfielder posted an image of himself posing with the award on Instagram, announcing his reaction: “Proud to be voted Celtic’s Young Player of the Year”.
Engels’ teammates Schmeichel and Maeda both liked the post, showing their support for the talented youngster.
Celtic star Arne Engels likely heading to the Premier League
Football Insider Verdict
The harsh reality in Scottish football, as highlighted by pundit Tam McManus when talking about Engels’ future at Celtic, is that even the biggest clubs are now mere stepping stones to bigger leagues like the Premier League.
The former Hibernian man believes that the Hoops and their rivals Rangers, rather than moping about that fact, are instead leaning into it.
Both the Belgian and Nico Raskin will have been encouraged to join their respective clubs, with a view to moving on in the near future.
| 2024/25 Premiership stats | Engels |
| Appearances | 32 |
| Starts | 23 |
| Goals | 9 |
| Assists | 5 |
| Minutes | 1,963 |
However, whilst Engel’s future likely lies south of the border, that should not stop Celtic from building their side around him in the short-term.
The midfield maestro is clearly talented enough to help the Hoops make deep runs in Europe, and with Rangers threatening to close the gap with their takeover by Andrew Cavenagh and 49ers Enterprises, the Hoops will need the youngster at his best.