I really don’t care- Streetwise Arne isn’t interested in his Ibrox ‘rival’

Arne Engels really, really doesn’t care about Nico Raskin.

They might both be Belgian and plating in Glasgow but that is about it as far as the Celtic midfielder is concerned..

At the age of 21 Engels has a season in the Bundesliga under his belt, 10Champions League appearances under his belt and is a team-mate of two of the most successful players in Scottish football.

Across the city Raskin has one League Cup winners medal to his name after more than two seasons in Scottish football, hasn’t had a sniff at the Champions League and is on the same WhatsApp chat groups as James Tavernier, Jack Butland and Ross McCausland.

The contrast between the two Belgians could hardly be more stark but with Engels presented to the media as a nominee of PFA Scotland’s Young Player of the Year awards there one subject dominated for the invited media.

Asked about his rivalry with the pint sized Ibrox midfielder Engels told The Sun:

It’s a game like another. You just need to focus on the game, not on the players that are there. I just want to win, that’s all that matters.

I don’t think about other players or who I am playing against. I don’t really care.

I played against Bayern Munich and stuff, so I don’t really care who is playing in front of me.

I’m trying my best. I’m just trying to win and I will do everything to win that game.

We’ve showed already in a few games against them that we are really good and we need to show that again now.

As well as Bayern, Engels has played against Atalanta, Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig.

His team-mates, James Forrest and Callum McGregor have won 50 Scottish trophies with every chance of taking that to 52 by the end of next month.

Engels has a competition record of two wins out of two since moving to Scottish football, Raskin has one win in nine.

On Sunday the Celtic midfielder makes his second visit to Ibrox, last time around he was struck by a missile thrown by a home supporter, no action has been taken on that issue with the fan expected to attend Sunday’s visit from the Scottish champions.