Shim Mheuka had barely been a Celtic player for 24 hours when he was thrown into the action at Celtic Park on Wednesday night.
The Chelsea youngster arrived on a season-long loan and was quickly handed his first taste of life in green and white, coming off the bench during Celtic’s convincing 3-0 win over Aberdeen.
It was only a short cameo, but Mheuka showed enough to give supporters an early glimpse of why Celtic were keen to bring him to Glasgow. He looked eager to get involved, carried himself confidently and certainly did not appear overawed by being pitched into a new team and a new stadium almost immediately after signing.
One of the more interesting moments involving the youngster actually came after the final whistle.
As the Celtic players made their way from the pitch, Mark Fotheringham was stationed near the tunnel greeting them, as he regularly does. The coach, affectionately known as Fozzy, has become a popular figure with supporters because of his animated presence on the touchline and his obvious relationship with the squad.
On this occasion, however, he made a particular effort with Mheuka.
Footage circulating among Celtic and Chelsea supporters shows Fotheringham stopping the teenager and spending a considerable amount of time speaking to him. While the conversation cannot be heard, the body language suggested plenty of praise and encouragement after his first appearance for the club.
It was a small moment, but one supporters immediately picked up on.
Mheuka has walked into a completely new environment at a young age and has done so without the luxury of weeks on the training ground getting to know his teammates and coaches. Less than a day after completing his move, he was already being asked to contribute in front of a sizeable Celtic Park crowd.
Young loan players can sometimes find themselves on the fringes while they settle into a new club. The Hoops appear determined to make sure Mheuka feels part of things immediately, and Fotheringham taking time to speak to him after the game was a good example of that.
There will naturally be bigger tests ahead and Mheuka will have to earn further opportunities in Martin O’Neill’s side.
His first night, though, was steady.
A winning debut, an encouraging cameo and a very public show of support from one of Celtic’s most popular coaches.
The next target will be getting more minutes into his legs and, hopefully, opening his scoring account sooner rather than later.
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