Welsh speaks out for Lagerbielke and Nawrocki: “We train like animals.”

Stephen Welsh returned to Celtic action for the first time since August 13th.

After a full pre-season to impress a new manager, an ankle injury a few days after that Pittodrie appearance ended his season prematurely.

Welsh was among the substitutes for the Champions League games against Atletico Madrid and Lazio, which took up the better part of three months.

With Liam Scales emerging, Cameron Carter-Vickers returning from injury, and Nat Phillips on loan from Liverpool, Welsh has a place in the first team alongside summer signings Gus Lagerbielke and Maik Nawrocki.

Welsh did not make the squad for Sunday’s defeat at Kilmarnock, but he was informed at training on Tuesday that he would be starting against Feyenoord, his second start since partnering up with Moritz Jenz against RB Leipzig last October.

Welsh told the Daily Mail about the dramatic turn of events:

Gus has come on and he has been excellent. Me and him and big Maik Nawrocki have all been training most days — and they train like animals every day.

Gus has got his reward and so have I coming into the team to play in the Champions League.

I’m pleased for Gus. He’s a great guy and a good footballer and he works hard every day. He’s a very good defender, very good on the ball and I’m delighted for him.

It’s tough to come into a new environment when you are maybe not getting the game time you want but it is what it is. At a club like Celtic, there’s always competition.

Lagerbielke came on in the 75th minute to replace Welsh, and 15 minutes later he was heading into the Feyenoord net, ending a 10-year drought in the Champions League at home.

In other news, Brendan Rodgers insists Celtic ‘could have had nine’ Champions League points, reflecting on the ‘irony’ of the matchwinner.