I fit in perfectly- Celtic summer signing makes defiant claim

Maik Nawrocki has no doubts or regrets over his summer move to Celtic.

Signed at the end of July from Legia Warsaw the door to a place in Brendan Rodgers’ side seemed to open up when Carl Starfelt was sold to Celta Vigo but a serious of unfortunate events left him on the sidelines with doubts being raised about his suitability.

In the final moments of his third appearance, away to Kilmarnock in the League Cup defeat the Polish stopper pulled his hamstring- the third serious injury to a central defender in eight days, joining Stephen Welsh and Cameron Carter-Vickers on the sidelines.

Liam Scales stepped into the side as Plan D while a loan move for Nat Phillips ruled Nawrocki out of Celtic’s Champions League squad.

For the German raised Pole it seemed like the perfect storm had arrived following his £4.3m move but hard work and perseverance provided an unlikely lifeline in the most demanding of domestic matches.

When Welsh dislocated his shoulder half an hour into the Glasgow Derby Rodgers turned to the Pole, it was his first involvement in four months but with the pressure on he teamed up with Scales to see Celtic through and go into the winter break with a healthy lead at the top of the Premiership.

Everything about Celtic’s summer recruitment has come in for criticism, Nawrocki knew that supporters were questioning his arrival but speaking to the Daily Record the Pole never feared that he had walked into the wrong movie:

I think it’s normal to think about that, but every time I spoke with someone about it, I never doubted my decision to come here.

I feel I fit in here perfectly. I knew myself that it would only be a matter of time before I was back playing. I was always confident that in the end it would go well for me.

There were other decisions I could have made, but I am very happy to be here, with all the people, and the situation was just something no-one could have predicted. Sometimes that happens in football. And I never doubted or regretted my decision to come here.

Nawrocki has barely put a foot wrong in his two appearances alongside Scales but with Carter-Vickers close to a return Rodgers will soon be presented with a serious decision to make.

After toiling to put together a consistent and effective central defensive partnership during the first half of the season the Celtic boss could have four strong options for two places as the stakes are raised in the chase for the SPFL Premiership.