Marian Shved scored his first goal for Mechelen on Monday night with the winner against Mouscron but just as importantly has won the respect of his team-mates.
After a difficult season at Celtic following his move from Karpaty Lviv it seemed like a case of Déjà vu as he drifted out of contention with a club at the bottom end of the Belgian League.
It looked ominous when Mechelen coach Wouter Vrancken slaughtered Shved’s attitude and professionalism including a classic line that he would be better of spending his time in the Billiards Hall.
Rather than take the huff and prepare for a return to Celtic it seems that the 23-year-old has knuckled down on the training ground with his team-mates delighted by his impact as they closed out 2020 on a winning note.
Goal 2 minutes 25 seconds
Striker Igor de Camargo told Walfoot:
He works very hard, he has a sacred technique and a lot of power. Of course, the Belgian league is something other than the Ukrainian, he needed a little time to adapt.
Midfielder Rob Schoofs added:
He clicked, I think. I thought he relied too much on his qualities at the start of the season, that he played it too easy. But he can really change a game. As long as he understands that the team comes first, he can be a great added value, and in recent weeks, it is.
Shved and his team-mates are now enjoying a mini-break before returning to face Standard on January 10.
