Celtic’s players have warmly welcomed the arrival of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, with the free agent unveiled to supporters on Saturday afternoon ahead of the Scottish Cup tie against Dundee.
The former England international watched on from the stands as Celtic scraped into the next round after extra time, having completed his move only hours earlier.
While he was not eligible for selection at the weekend, attention now turns to when he might make his first appearance in green and white.
Martin O’Neill has already cautioned against rushing the midfielder back too quickly, stressing that Oxlade-Chamberlain will need time to build full match fitness. A starting role is unlikely in the immediate term, but a cameo from the bench could be on the cards when Celtic host Livingston on Wednesday night.
Celtic face Livingston, who currently sit bottom of the table. There will be a different look to the opposition dugout, with David Martindale stepping back from his role and Marvin Bartley taking charge.
Inside the Celtic dressing room, the reaction to Oxlade-Chamberlain’s arrival has been overwhelmingly positive. One of those clearly excited by the prospect is Sebastian Tounekti, who believes the midfielder’s experience can lift the squad on and off the pitch.
“He’s a big name,” he told the Herald. “He’s a big player and has won a lot, the Champions League and the Premier League. I’m really pleased to have him here. I think he will help us a lot on the pitch and off the pitch. So it’s brilliant to have him here.”
“It’s no doubt that we want to go far in everything we are in. I think we just have to focus on each game because, as I said, we have lots of games. But he will be an important player for us because he’s a player with lots of experience. He has been playing at the highest level, so he will be really important for us.”
With Celtic entering a demanding run of fixtures, the presence of a player who has operated at the very top level is viewed as a timely boost. While patience will be required as Oxlade-Chamberlain builds fitness, there is clear anticipation among his new teammates about what he can bring once he is ready to contribute.
