Brendan Rodgers has voiced his unwavering support for Arne Engels, Celtic’s record signing, urging fans to show patience as the young Belgian adapts to life at Parkhead.
Engels, who joined from Bundesliga side Augsburg for a reported £11 million, has faced increasing scrutiny following a dip in form, with some fans calling for Paulo Bernardo to replace him in the starting XI.
Rodgers, however, remains confident that the 21-year-old midfielder will prove his worth, drawing comparisons to the early struggles of players like Bernardo and Nicolas Kuhn, both of whom have since become integral to the team.
Speaking ahead of the weekend’s clash with Ross County, Rodgers stressed the need for patience when assessing young players: [Celtic TV]
“Playing here is a challenge for anyone. The most recent example of that would be Paulo Bernardo.
“He was exactly the same if I remember back, highlighting his performances at this time last year, and now he is cheered on loudly whenever he enters the pitch.
“That’s called development, that’s called patience, and it’s all about time. Arne is a fantastic young player, otherwise we wouldn’t have brought him here.
“He doesn’t set the price, he’s come here to a big club to improve his game, and I have absolutely no doubt he will do that.
“I hope that people will learn their lesson. The same people who were writing off Paulo and Nicolas Kuhn will now be Arne Engels or someone else. You have to look and see that development takes time, and some more than others.
“Some players will hit the ground running and adapt perfectly. But not everyone is like that, especially a young player.
“I’ve been really pleased since he came in, because I know the future for him is that he will improve and develop and get better. We have seen it so many times.”
With Rodgers in the dugout, the 21-year-old midfielder has a strong mentor to guide him through this challenging period.
He’s gone from playing once a week with Augsburg, a mid-table side, to playing twice or three times a week with Celtic, sometimes travelling four hours on a bus or travelling via plane to Europe.
The mental adaptation is also a big one, with the pressures that come with playing for Celtic.
Given the time, Engels can turn into a great player for Celtic, but he needs to be given the opportunities.
