Around this time last year 20 year old Arne Engels was unveiled as our club record signing after a whopping £11 million move from Bundesliga outfit FC Augsburg, and it’s up for interpretation if he’s lived up to that price tag or not…
Arne Engels of FC Augsburg poses during the team presentation at WWK Arena on August 02, 2023 in Augsburg, Germany. (Photo by Sebastian Widmann/Getty Images)
The price is NEVER down to the player
The price is NEVER down to the player, that’s between the clubs and the Bundesliga side were selling a highly rated Belgium international who had many admirers and indeed still does. Brendan Rodgers has said many times that Celtic were buying potential. Engels is a player who could be developed and then perhaps sold on for a record transfer fee of around £40m down the line.
In his first season at Celtic Arne Engels played for Belgium, celebrated his 21st birthday and scored 10 goals and 13 assists in 52 appearances across all competitions. That’s a a pretty decent record for a young man in his debut campaign in a new country, although critics will argue that the majority of those goals arrived from the spot, and overall he’s failed to justify his massive fee.
Celtic v theRangers – Arne Engels during the match at Celtic Park on Sunday September 1, 2024. Photo Steve Welsh
Whilst Arne didn’t exactly enjoy a spectacular debut season, he was hardly the expensive flop some were and still are perceiving. He was a 20 year old moving to a new country and a club with huge demands to win every single match, not something he was used to in German football.
Liam Scales gets similar treatment, as did Greg Taylor previously
We know how harsh the over critical element of our support can be once they get their teeth into their victim. Greg Taylor had it continually throughout his Celtic career whilst Liam Scales seems to be the latest to be feeling the brunt of that unfair criticism on a regular basis. Scales made his 100th appearance for Celtic the other night and is highly regarded by Brendan Rodgers who is also using him as cover for Kieran Tierney in the closing stages of matches.
Celtic v theRangers – Scottish Premiership – Celtic Park – Celtic’s Arne Engels match at Celtic Park, Glasgow. Sunday September 1, 2024. Photo Steve Welsh
It doesn’t matter what these guys do on the park, these critics will find a fault of some kind no matter how trivial to appease their own agenda. If Scales had missed the ball trying to shoot the other night – as happened to KT – then we’d have been hearing them moan about the Irish defender all week.
Engels a worth Man of the Match on Friday night in Sandman’s Definitive Ratings
In Arne’s case that was evident during and after our comfortable 4-1 win over Falkirk on Friday evening. Despite having a terrific game, and was named Man of the Match by Sandman in his Definitive Ratings on The Celtic Star.
Engels looked bright throughout, laying on an assist and creating several other chances yet quite remarkably he was still the subject of heavy criticism post match by some of our more negative supporters on social media.
Arne Engels of Celtic celebrates scoring his team’s opening goal during the SPL | Premier League match between Celtic FC and Hearts at Celtic Park on September 14, 2024. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
Celtic has strength in depth and competition for places in midfield
This is an important season for Arne and he needs support, not be subjected to constant nit picking. It’s rather bizarre and unnecessary that some fail to acknowledge the contribution he makes to our side just because they want to be proven right. Competition for midfield places is intense and that’s the way it should be at Celtic – and players like Benjamin Nygren, Arne Engels, Callum McGregor, Luke McCowan, Reo Hatate and Paulo Bernardo will all play their parts this season.
Dane Murray of Celtic celebrates scoring his team’s third goal with teammate Arne Engels during the Premier Sports League Cup match between Celtic and Falkirk at Celtic Park on August 15, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
Some folk just have an agenda against Arne Engels and also Liam Scales , I just wish they’d pack it in.
Just an Ordinary Bhoy
CELTIC IN THE EIGHTIES BY DAVID POTTER, FOREWORD BY DANNY McGRAIN is published by Celtic Star Books on the fifth day of September. You can pre-order now to guarantee your copy which will be signed by Danny McGrain, with just a limited number of signed copies still available, although they are selling very quickly.
And there’s another great benefit for readers who pre-order their copy of Celtic in the Eighties. You will also receive a copy of an earlier David Potter book – Celtic’ Icicle – Alec McNair – which you’ll receive for FREE when you pre-order with Celtic in the Eighties. So you get two great Celtic books by David Potter and better still the postage is only charged on one. Click on the image below to order. (Just order Celtic in the Eighties and we’ll automatically add a copy of the Alec McNair book).
Celtic in the Eighties by David Potter. Foreword by Danny McGrain. Published on Celtic Star Books on 5 September 2025. Click on image to pre-order.
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