MICHEL-ANGE BALIKWISHA has promised the Celtic fans they are about to see the real version of the player who arrived in a £4.5million move from Royal Antwerp in August.
The Belgian winger had a distinctly low-key debut in the awful scoreless stalemate at Ibrox and has failed to spark as he attempts to settle into life in his new surroundings.
There was a brief glimpse of what Balikwisha can provide when he delivered a peach of a cross from the left for Daizen Maeda to dive full-length and divert the headed stoppage-time winner in the dramatic finale to the 3-2 comeback win over Motherwell at Parkhead on Sunday.
The 24-year-old wide Bhoy said: “Arne Engels found me in the space and I crossed it left foot for Daizen who finished it well.
“It was an incredible feeling with the noise of the fans and, for me, it was as if I had scored.”
ON THE RUN…Michel-Ange Balikwisha leaves James Tavernier trailing during the Belgian’s Celtic debut in the drab goalless draw at Ibrox in August.
Balikwisha is determined to enjoy more highs in his Hoops career and, speaking to Celtic TV, continued: “I am training hard every day.
“The sessions are more intense here than where I came from, so I had to adapt. Now everything is fine and I hope it continues every day to help the team.
“As the gaffer said, it was not easy at the beginning. I was staying in the hotel, but now everything is sorted and it is time for me to show what I am capable of.
“The staff and my team-mates helped me a lot during that time.”
Balikwisha, who is hoping to get the nod to start against Dundee at Dens Park a week on Sunday when the league resumes, added: “After a good week of training with a positive mindset and confidence, when the gaffer called me on the touchline on Sunday, I was desperate to come on and help the team to win the game.”
The touchline ace may not have claimed the winner on this occasion, but he did the next best thing.
Now the former Belgium Under-21 international aims to keep the momentum going for the rest of a crucial campaign.
