'Tireless' Arne Engels shows Belgium who he really is as Celtic star has a message for those who overlooked him

Flying Arne Engels hopes his impressive full Belgium debut can help make him a superstar in his homeland – and the media back home are starting to take notice of the 'tireless' midfield machine.

Celtic spent big on Engels in the summer, drafted in as an £11m marquee replacement for Matt O'Riley, and he's delivered with his early performances in Scotland. So much so that it's propelled him up a gear on the international scene, from the fringes into the first XI as he started for the first time ever against Italy on Thursday night.

They lost 1-0 but Engels was the silver lining as far as the Belgian press are concerned. Until now, he hasn't exactly been a household name in his homeland, having only featured for the Club Brugge B-team before Augsburg snapped him up in January 2023. But he hopes they know who he is now. He said: "I'm happy that I was able to show what I'm capable of. People may know me from my Champions League games with Celtic, but I've never played at the highest level in Belgium. So a lot of people here don't really know who I am.

"I hope that with this game I've shown what I can do. It was nice to be in the starting line-up for the first time. But of course, it's a shame we couldn't win."

Well, they know who he is now, anyway. Het Laatste Nieuws praised the 21-year-old's ‘maturity’ while De Standaard were taken aback by his engine, saying: “Engels was tireless in winning the ball back and displayed impressive stamina throughout the entire match.” And the highest praise came from La Libre Belgique, who penned: “Engels proved that he is ready for the highest level and can become a mainstay in the Red Devils’ midfield.”

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