New Celtic bhoy, Alexandro Bernabei spoke about the time he met the late Maradona and how it inspired him to follow in the footsteps of world football legend and play in Europe.
Bernabei signed a five-year deal with the Hoops on Thursday and will get to work to become Celtic’s first choice left back.
Becoming the first Argentine player to sign for the club is history making in itself. The defender wants to win things and have a crack at Europe’s best.
When he spoke about the chance to meet Maradona – the Celtic new bhoy revealed how meaningful it was for him as a young player trying to make his way in the game.
“First of all, Diego was a world champion.
“I had a chance to meet him when there was a friendly between Lanus and Gimnasia.
“For me it was just really, really meaningful to be able to meet him. For my career and also for my life, for all Argentinians.”
Asked if he’s proud to come over to Europe and follow in the footsteps of Messi and Maradona, the new Hoops signing said: “I wouldn’t make that comparison.
“I don’t think I’m at the stature of the best, like Messi and Maradona.
“However, I would really like to follow in their footsteps in terms of playing in Europe for as long as I can.
“Being the first Argentinian at Celtic means I would like to open the door for a lot more Argentinian players to come to the club.
“My family and my friends will all know about Celtic.”
Alexandro is set to get straight to work with his new teammates and will be part of the squad that heads to Austria for the pre-season camp.
The Scottish Champions have a full and uninterrupted pre-season because they’ve already qualified for the Champions League. They have to make the most of it and ensure they’re in the best possible shape for what’s ahead between now and the World Cup break in November.
