It looks like Celtic’s incoming new Bhoy Gustaf Lagerbielke – the clubs agreed a fee of around £3m yesterday – is no stranger to wearing the Hoops as the photo above illustrates, and we have a few more at the end of this article for you too! It certainly gives you an idea of how the Swedish defender is going to look in Celtic colours over the next few years!
Yesterday Celtic’s main man at the back, Cameron Carter-Vickers wishes Carl Starfelt all the best at Celta Vigo and talked about a new partnership emerging with Maik Nawrocki – or just Rocki as Celtic called him (so nicknames are allowed when it suits).
“Defensive partnerships take time,” Cameron Carter-Vickers noted yesterday afternoon, at his media conference ahead of the Aberdeen v Celtic Scottish Premiership match at Pittodrie on Sunday lunchtime.
The Celtic stalwart was speaking both about the departure of Carl Starfelt, his partner at the back for the past two seasons – and remember when this pairing played for Celtic in the Scottish Premiership they never lost a single match – and also about new signing Maik Nawrocki who he started a similar run last week when the two played together in the 4-2 Scottish Premiership win over Ross County.
🍀 “There’s nothing like a game to see his natural tendencies and him learning mine…”
Cameron Carter-Vickers on forming a new defensive partnership with Maik Nawrocki at Celtic 👇 pic.twitter.com/n6QbZmqHpk
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) August 11, 2023
“As Carl and I played together more, then we got better. I think that is only natural,” CCV said. “But you can see the qualities Maik has every day in training. He’s a very good player and I’m looking forward to playing alongside him.
“Now it’s about building connections and knowing what each other will do.”
While he might not see it this way himself, but every Celtic supporter regards the 25 year-old CCV as the key component in the Celtic back-line, he has been a magnificent player and perhaps the most vital player in the starting eleven alongside the captain, Callum McGregor.
However the laid back American international reckons talk of there being more onus on him to set an example now that Starfelt has left the club, is wide of the mark.
“I don’t really look at it like that,” CCV explained. “For me, it’s just about trying to perform as best as I can and then trying to help other people around me. I think most of the players in the team try to do that anyway.
“We are a group that’s together and if we have information we can give each other to try and help the team that’s what we do. Have I done that with Maik? Every player talks every day in training. It’s already started but it does take time.
My name is…Maik Nawrocki pic.twitter.com/g1OoNTOIjW
— ⫷ IGCҽʅƚιƈ ⫸ (@CelticIg) August 11, 2023
“Similar to if you change styles it takes a period to make those connections instant but it’s definitely something we’re working on.”
As we reported last night, Celtic are closing in on a £3m deal with Swedish side Elfsborg to sign their 23-year-old central defender Gustaf Lagerbielke. With the fee now agreed, all that remains is for Lagerbielke to have a medical in Glasgow over the next few days.
And Gustaf will feel comfortable enough wearing the green and white Hoops, because he’s actually already worn then while playing for Swedish side Vasteras. What to see some photos? Here you go…
And here’s Cameron Carter-Vickers media conference, courtesy of Celtic TV…
