BOYATA WELCOMES COMPPER – WITH A WARNING!

DEDRYCK BOYATA has welcomed £1million new Bhoy Marvin Compper to Celtic.

But the Belgian defender has warned the former RB Leipzig star he will battle all the way to keep his place in the Hoops’ central defence.

Boyata said: “I am looking forward to working with Marvin. He is an experienced player, 32 years old with a cap for Germany, so I am sure he is a very good player.

“But I want to stay in the team because I have the World Cup coming up in the summer with Belgium. This could be a very big six months for me.

“In any team, though, you need a bit of freshness. It is almost impossible to play every game at 100 per cent fit.

“So we need players to help us.

“Of course, for myself, I want to play every game now until the end of the season.

“I know, though, that I have had examples before when I’ve been injured, or my body just couldn’t cope, and I’ve had to come out of the team. So new defenders can only help us there.

“When people say we need new centre-backs, I can’t change that.

“Big clubs want to win everything. It is not just the staff. It’s the players and the fans, too – they want everything, so they always want to change something.

“As a player, I can’t affect that. I want to be on the pitch and there’s only one guy you need to convince – the manager.

“For that, you need to work hard every day. In terms of bringing in new players, it’s the same at every club. It’s just the way it is today.

“Looking ahead, you just never know what might happen.

“At the moment, I feel really focused and settled. I’m looking forward to 2018.

“I want to start it positively and continue until the end of the season.”

The CQN Podcast: A Celtic State of Mind (EP28) with former Celtic director Tom Grant

Paul John Dykes and Kevin Graham are joined by Celtic’s ex-director, Tom Grant, who offers a fascinating insight into the running of the club in the 1980s and 1990s.

Tom Grant explains exactly why Celtic refused to complete the Mo Johnston transfer in 1989, and lifts the lid on audacious efforts by Billy McNeill to recruit Peter Beardsley and Steve Bruce.

Tom Grant also dissects his relationship with Fergus McCann, and the impact of the ‘Celts For Change’ movement in overturning the ‘family dynasty’ board in 1994.

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