Arne Engels made his first start for Celtic memorable by scoring a second-half penalty in a 2-0 win over Hearts in the Premiership at Parkhead last month. He has now shared what opposing players said to him in an attempt to unsettle him before he took his spot-kick.
During the match, footage captured Hearts captain Lawrence Shankland trying to pile pressure on the 21-year-old Belgian by shouting “big pressure” as Engels prepared to take the penalty.
Another player, believed to be Craig Halkett, chimed in with a dismissive, “£10? Yeah, right,” a reference to Engels’ significant summer transfer fee.
Despite the verbal jabs, Engels remained composed, sending Hearts goalkeeper Craig Gordon the wrong way.
His penalty opened the scoring for Celtic, paving the way for fellow newcomer Luke McCowan to seal the victory with a late goal, ensuring the Hoops extended their unbeaten domestic run.
Reflecting on the incident ahead of Celtic’s 2-1 comeback win over Ross County in Dingwall, Engels addressed Shankland’s efforts to throw him off. Speaking to Sky Sports, he said he hadn’t heard Shankland’s words during the game itself.
“I saw it in a video, actually, but I didn’t hear it in the stadium,” Engels revealed.
“You’re in the zone and you don’t hear anything if you’re in the zone. Of course, it’s nice to grab a goal or an assist. This helps, but it’s not the most important thing – that was just that we got the victory in the end. That was the most important thing for the team and for the club. If you grab a goal, it’s always nice for the team.”
Shankland’s attempts to distract Engels drew criticism from some fans on social media, but former Celtic striker Chris Sutton took a more light-hearted view. Discussing the incident on the ‘It’s All Kicking Off’ podcast, Sutton found the situation amusing.
“I love the sort of pettiness over in football,” Sutton said.
“Engels – the big new signing for Celtic for £10 million. As he is getting ready to take the penalty, Shankland is screaming at Engels ‘£10 million, £10m, big pressure, high right (sic) and all that’.
“Engels just strolls up and sends Craig Gordon the wrong way. Fair play to him. I wonder if he understood Scottish first and foremost. I sort of quite like what Lawrence Shankland was doing anyway. But it didn’t phase Engels at all.”
The young Belgian’s ability to handle the pressure and brush off Shankland’s antics has only further endeared him to Celtic supporters, as he continues to adapt to life in Glasgow following his high-profile move.