manager has high hopes for loovens

David Friel
GORDON Strachan is confident the Celtic supporters will see new signing Glenn Loovens playing at the peak of his powers over the next four years.

The 24-year-old Dutch defender completed his transfer from Cardiff City over the weekend and was paraded in the new Celtic strip at Lennoxtown on Tuesday afternoon.

As he sat next to his new recruit, the manager revealed that Loovens had been watched by Ray Clarke, Celtic’s Head of International Scouting, for a number of years.

And the Hoops boss was delighted to finally secure the signature of a player he believes will go from strength to strength at Celtic.

“Glenn will be a good signing for us and will add to our squad,” he said. “We’re going to try to win everything this year and we have to have a good squad.

“By signing Glenn, that will help us. I’ve absolutely no doubt about that. He’s at a good age at 24. He is years away from his peak and we need to prepare him for his peak.

“We need to prepare him for playing at this level and playing in the Champions League. He will gain experience from that and hopefully he will get better.”

Having progressed through the ranks at Feyenoord and then spent three years in the Championship, Loovens arrives at Celtic with an impressive pedigree. The Hoops boss now wants to make him better.

“We’ve spent money on Glenn and it gives us a chance to develop him as a player,” added the manager. “He will get good coaching at Celtic and speaking to him, Glenn does want to get better.

“Glenn is a good signing for us and, like my other centre halves – Stephen McManus, Gary Caldwell and Darren O’Dea – he isn’t at his peak yet.

“We’ll have a group of defenders who are all pretty much the same age. I do not have a set team in my mind, but I have a set way of playing. Whoever fits the bill will play.

“The other centre-halves have a wee bit more Champions League experience than Glenn at the moment, but he will get that. And he will enjoy it.

“I’ve got the potential to make all these players better. I have to find out if they want to get better and I know Glenn does.

“Ray Clarke watches a lot of Dutch and Belgian football and he’s watched Glenn for many years. The opportunity to sign him has never arrived until now and we’re happy.

“Glenn likes to defend. He’s got good stature, good pace and he is vocal on the pitch as well. He likes to be part of a defensive unit and there is plenty there to work with.”