Arne Engels will be one of the happiest people in Glasgow this weekend after fully introducing himself to the Celtic support against Hearts on Saturday.

Following a record £11m move from Bundesliga outfit FC Augsburg, Engels followed up a substitute debut against Rangers with a spot in the starting eleven against the Jam Tarts this weekend.

It was a solid outing for the midfielder that promises more. After missing a couple of chances in the first half, including a shot that rattled the post, he bravely stepped up to convert a penalty and send the Bhoys on the road to a 2-0 victory.

There’s undoubtedly plenty of improvement to come from the Belgian but Celtic fans understand that his potential will take time to unlock over time. The fact he is contributing well so early on is a great sign.

Celtic fans deliver verdict on Arne Engels vs Hearts

It’s immediately clear that Engels has a bit of class about him. His technique catches the eye and he carries himself well on the pitch, playing with awareness of his surroundings.

As one supporter said on X: “He’s going to the very top. Looks a Rolls Royce of a player.”

Fan media personality Asim Rabbani added after his goal: “First of many hopefully from our new record signing Arne Engels who I thought showed glimpses today of what we can expect. Grew into it and a very accomplished first start for the Belgian.”

Engels’ performance was 100% perfect and in the early stages it was apparent he was still adjusting with loss of possession on a couple of occasions, as one fan noted with: “Very tidy, maybe caught out by the pace of the game a wee bit but he’ll catch on soon enough. Overall looks a player.”

Some are already seeing why Celtic shelled out so much money for him, with this fan enthusing: “Arne Engels – touch wood – is, even at this early stage, looking like he’s worth the fee and has grabbed the role of penalty taker to boot. That was a cool-headed finish.”

The conclusion being reached by many is similar to this succinctly put comment on social media: “Engels looks like he’s gonna be a player for us.”

Arne Engels’ numbers on first Celtic start

So what are the stat-trackers noting? FotMob actually gave him a star man-of-the-match rating of 8.4 for his contribution despite strong performances from others such as Cameron Carter-Vickers and Nicolas Kuhn.

The penalty boosts that number, no doubt, but it’s clear that Engels took his chance to impress and stake a claim for more minutes.

He had 80 touches in total with six in the opposition box, getting four shots off in total which bodes well for his mission to become a goalscoring midfielder fo the Bhoys.

His pass accuracy of 87% can improve with one chance created. He was directly setting up his teammates but was consistently involved in attacking combinations.

The Belgian wasn’t outmatched by opponents, despite physical treatment, winning six of his nine duels and a tackle, also blocking a shot.

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