Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has issued a strong defence of club-record signing Arne Engels, urging fans to show patience as the young Belgian adapts to life in a new league and country.
The 21-year-old midfielder arrived at Celtic Park from Bundesliga side Augsburg for a reported £11 million this summer.
Despite an encouraging start to his time in Glasgow, Engels has struggled for consistency in recent weeks, leading to calls from some fans for him to be dropped from the starting lineup.
Rodgers, however, dismissed such suggestions and drew parallels to other players who initially struggled before finding their feet at the club. Speaking to STV, the former Leicester City boss said:
“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.”
Engels has registered three goals and three assists in 16 appearances this season, a respectable return for a young player still finding his feet.
Rodgers added: “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.”
The Celtic boss made it clear that he remains fully confident in Engels’ potential, calling on fans to support the youngster as he grows into his role.
