A SEVEN-GOAL demolition job in Dortmund wasn’t in the script when Arne Engels arrived on deadline day as Celtic’s most expensive signing.
The £11million recruit from Augsburg made a quickfire debut as a second-half substitute in the 3-0 derby rout of the Ibrox opposition a couple of days later at a pulsating Parkhead with 60,000 welcoming the 21-year-old Belgian playmaker to Glasgow.
The sequence of joy continued with a penalty-kick goal on his first start – the 2-0 win over Hearts – and he was on target again via the spot in the runaway 5-1 triumph over Slovan Bratislava on matchday one in Europe’s most prestigious competition.
The gifted midfielder made a second-half appearance as the hosts toiled 2-1 adrift in the Premier Sports League Cup quarter-final against Championship outfit Falkirk at Parkhead.
THE YELLOW WAIL…Arne Engels looks on as Borussia Dortmund players celebrate another goal.
He played his part in revitalising the team who then swept to a 5-2 victory to book a place in the semi-final against Aberdeen at Hampden early next month.
The wins and eye-catching performances continued to pile up with a 6-0 romp against St Johnstone in Perth on Saturday night, but the feelgood factor was derailed in a spectacularly painful manner at the 81,000-capacity Westfalenstadion on Tuesday.
Borussia Dortmund refused to follow the script in their landlside 7-1 win with the Germans 5-1 ahead before the interval on a humiliating evening for Brendan Rodgers’ men.
The new Bhoy refused to press any panic buttons when the local media asked him about his switch from the Bundesliga to the Premiership champions.
Engels, speaking to Kicker magazine, said: “We just didn’t play well. Dortmund were really strong, but I still think 7-1 was a bit too much.
“We have to stick together now.
ENDGAME…Celtic players applaud the 3,500 travelling support at the Westfalenstadion after the rout.
“We concentrate on ourselves and just look to the next game. It’s happening so quickly, there’s no time to think about it for long, we just have to get on with it.
“It wasn’t our best game; I think everyone could see that.
“The good thing is that our next game comes quickly and it’s up to us to show again that Dortmund was just a bad day and that we are still in a good mood.”
Pressed if he was still enjoying life as a Celt, the level-headed youngster replied: “Apart from this game here, yes.
“It’s everything I hoped for, sometimes even more. Even though this was a bad day for us, we are usually much better.”
Engels and his shell-shocked team-mates swap Dortmund for Dingwall on Sunday when they face Ross County in the midday kick-off.
