The 20-year-old spent three years at Club NXT, the academy wing of the Belgian giants, before departing for Augsburg in 2023 without making a senior appearance.
Since then, Engels went on to feature 53 times for the Bundesliga outfit, registering nine goals and three assists across all competitions. In a significant week from a personal standpoint, Celtic signed the Dendermonde-born midfielder for a landmark £11 million fee.
He also received a call-up for the senior Belgium squad for the second time in a few months, illustrating that Domenico Tedesco is aware of his talent. Capping off a manic few days, the Red Devil debuted for Celtic in a 3-0 victory over Rangers last Sunday.
While he bids to make his debut for his country against either Israel or France in the Nations League, Engels has also opened up on meeting some of his old friends in the Champions League.
Celtic are pencilled in to take on Club Brugge in the Champions League come late November. In many ways, the fixture will serve as a reminder of where it all started for Engels.
Speaking to Gazet van Antwerpen, the new kid on the block is looking forward to facing off against the Jupiler Pro League side.
He explained, firstly referencing his move to Celtic: “A very nice step. It will be nice to compete for the title. This is a step forward. In Scotland, you don’t play against Joan and Mieke. And there’s the Champions League. With a nice, new format for me: eight top matches, nice.”
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