Celtic Star Opens Up On Painful World Cup Snub

Arne Engels admits missing out on Belgium’s World Cup squad hurt, but the Celtic midfielder insists he now has to prove he deserves another chance under Rudi Garcia.

The 22-year-old was left out of Belgium’s squad for this summer’s tournament despite becoming one of Celtic’s most important midfield players during the second half of the season.

Engels’ form improved massively after Martin O’Neill returned to the club.

Earlier in the campaign he struggled badly at times as Celtic’s midfield lacked balance and confidence following the Champions League collapse against Kairat. But once O’Neill settled the side, Engels became far more aggressive on the ball and started influencing matches higher up the pitch.

That made his omission from Belgium’s squad slightly surprising.

Belgium are clearly moving into a new cycle under Garcia and there was a feeling Engels’ energy and technical ability could have suited tournament football, especially given how many games are decided by midfield control and transitions now.

Instead, he will spend the summer watching from home.

One part of his comments may raise eyebrows though. Engels revealed Garcia has never contacted him directly to explain the decision.

For younger international players, those conversations usually matter. Especially when somebody is trying to break properly into a national side during a transition period.

Still, Engels handled the disappointment maturely while speaking to Belgian media this week.

The Celtic midfielder discussed the situation openly while still backing Belgium to perform strongly at the tournament.

He said: (Sporza), “It’s a shame. You always want to be there to represent your country, especially at a major tournament. It is now up to me to show that I am worthy of being part of it.

“Hopefully, I will get a chance in the future to fight my way back in.

“I have actually never had contact with him (Garcia). Although I do think that is the custom. That is probably the case with the important players.

“And as I said, it is up to me to prove myself and seize every opportunity with both hands. There are new chances in September. But first, I think the Red Devils are going to have a fantastic tournament.”

From a Celtic perspective, there is probably one obvious upside.

Engels now gets a full summer to recover physically before another huge season begins. Celtic face Champions League qualifiers again and the midfielder looked exhausted during parts of the winter schedule.

With Engels continually being linked with big-money interest from across Europe, a move away from Celtic is starting to feel increasingly realistic if his form continues rising next season.