Alan Stubbs has backed new Celtic defender Moritz Jenz to be a success at the club and has advised what he must do next.
It was a dream start to life in the green and white hoops for Jenz as he bagged a goal on his debut to give Celtic the lead late on in Dingwall.
The 23-year old was handed his first competitive start at the weekend with Stephen Welsh having to miss out due to an illness.
It was interesting to note that even though he only featured during one game of Celtic’s pre season he was given the nod to be on the bench during the Hoops league opener against Aberdeen over Christopher Jullien who all but looks set to leave the club this summer.
Jenz was the man caught out for the Staggies equaliser on Saturday as Alex Iacovitti managed to get his head to the ball first to level the game just before the hour back.
Celtic continued to make chances and eventually from a short corner came a delightful ball whipped in by Jota which was met superbly in the air by Jenz to redeem himself.
Stubbs knows all about what it’s like to be a centre back at Celtic having been a record transfer fee for £3.5 million in 1996 and not justifying his price-tag instantly upon his arrival from Bolton Wanderers.
“It will certainly give Moritz belief,” said Alan Stubbs speaking to The Herald.
“It is always, not matter who you are and how much you have been brought in for, a little amount or a large amount, important to settle as quickly as possible. That is the main thing when you join a new club. So to score such an important goal can only do him a lot of good.
“We have seen players go to all kinds of different clubs and take time to settle in. Strikers always want to score that first goal and build momentum from there. But it is the same with all players.
“They want to start off with good performances and quickly endear themselves to the fans and he has certainly done that. It is a step in the right direction for him at the weekend. I am sure the manager will be hoping he can build on his start.
“Debuts can make you and break you at a club. My debut was very eventful. There is nothing you can do sometimes when decisions go against you. That was a decision that went against me.
“But the most concerning thing is performances. If you can get the right level of performances under your belt you go a long way to settling, feeling comfortable amongst the players and also gaining the respect of the players.
“That is a big thing as well when you sign for a new club. Yes, you want to earn the respect of the fans, but you want to earn the respect of your fellow team mates. Moritz did both at the weekend and he will be a positive frame of mind now going into the Kilmarnock match at Rugby Park this Sunday.
“The players have all started the season off as well as they would have wanted. They got a good win at a difficult place on Saturday. Ross County have made huge strides under Malky Mackay and they made it difficult for large parts of the game. They now need to keep their start going.”
