Patryk Klimala

PATRYK KLIMALA carries around a tattoo of a flight of stairs on his shoulder.

They act as a symbol for his life.

When the striker, who’s on his way to Celtic, had it drawn two seasons ago he was on loan in the Polish second division.

At the time he was still grappling with his demons.

It was a trait which had characterised him since his childhood when he was the talented sports kid who could do no wrong in a tiny village.

He’d come close to being expelled from school, then was booted out of Legia Warsaw’s academy when he was overweight and out of his depth.

Those constant battles with his demons earned him the nickname of The Devil, just like his grandfather and the father who sometimes filled him with fear.

But as the needle pierced his skin in the tattoo parlour that day, Klimala vowed it was time to start climbing.

Now Celtic gaffer Neil Lennon could give him the chance to take another huge step as he prepares to complete the signing of the Jagiellonia Bialystok hitman.

Klimala, 21, said: “I had the stairs tattooed on my shoulder when I was on loan at Wigry Suwałki. They were a metaphor for my life.

“I was going through a hard time, I’d gone to Wigry assuming I’d be a leading figure but it didn’t happen until the end of my loan.

“I went for the stairs tattoo because I wanted to climb. I don’t regret having it done but I look at the world in a different way now.

Until recently I looked at things in a short-sighted way.

“When I returned to Jagiellonia from Wigry I had players in front of me but, instead of learning from them, I said I should play.

“I felt I was better, but I couldn’t show it on the pitch.

“I spent too much energy on frustration. I wanted to prove things too much. But I changed and became humble.

“The manager Ireneusz Mamrot had a lot of patience with me.

“When I didn’t like something I’d go straight to him. One week he went through what I’d done wrong.

“It was a breakthrough. I knew I had to work as if I was a leader of Jagiellonia.

“Now I know my strengths and weaknesses. I know I’m not suited for a technical game or for dribbling.”

The seeds for those self-defensive instincts were sown as a kid in Kalna, with its population of just 700 people.

He said: “I had nothing to prove at my village. I was the best at football and could do almost anything without any consequences.


There were often fights in my boarding school. One day an average goalie hurt another boy and was thrown out.

“When I fought hard with one guy my parents were called and everyone said I should be treated the same.

“But the coaches tried to stop me being expelled. I was told I could stay if I played football for them the next season.

“I agreed and that’s why I was able to graduate.”

But Klimala was dumped from Legia Warsaw’s academy after he struggled to adapt to life in the capital.

He’d landed a move there in 2014 after catching the eye, but lasted only 18 months.

He said: “The big city didn’t work for me. There were so many players like me and some who were even better. It wasn’t all my fault, I wasn’t treated fairly.

“We were 16 or 17 and went out quite often. One night we were at a club and bumped into someone from Legia.


“He told the club he’d seen me drunk, which just wasn’t true. He also didn’t mention the 12 other players who were there either.

“The club told me it was better for me to leave. I was playing right-back and didn’t enjoy it.

“In Warsaw, I maybe felt too confident and was showing off a bit too much.

“It wasn’t a reflection of my personality. When I left I had the highest level of body fat in the whole team. It was almost 23 percent.

“I ate chocolate, sweets and McDonalds every day. Today my level is 7.5 percent. I’m ashamed of my entire time at Legia.”

He knew telling his old man he’d been thrown out wouldn’t be easy — but the fallout brought them closer together.

Klimala — capped by Poland’s Under-21s — said: “My dad is a tough man.

“He never hit me but when he spoke shivers went down my back. He was like me when he was my age.

He only came to Warsaw once and that was when I was told to leave.

“I took my things and cried. He told me to think what I really wanted in life.

“The train journey home lasted eight-and-a-half hours and I’ve never talked to him like I did on that journey. It was the most important conversation we’d ever had.

“He opened up to me and told me about his youth and what he’d done wrong. Our stories were similar but he learned from what he did.

“He wasn’t angry with me for being thrown out of Legia but for the decisions I’d made. When I returned home people said I wouldn’t play football again.

“I went back to live in the boarding school in Dzieroniów. I’d get up at 6am, others would go to school and I’d go to the pitch and train on my own.

“I knew nobody would spot me so I called the Under-19s manager at Jagiellonia and they invited me for a trial and I was handed another chance.

“The men in our family — myself, my dad and my grandpa — are known for being strong characters.



My father played football in the old first division and people turned a blind eye to his misdeeds.

“Then I took on that mantle. Fortunately we were both wise. We also have similar taste for women. When my father met my mother, she was important to him.

“He was looked after by my mother and I was looked after by my fiancée, who has had the biggest impact on my life.

“Today my head is on a completely different level. The devil still exists but now it is a positive for me.”

 

a striker possesed by the devil , cant wait for this

 

I simply made a comment that Julien wasnt a "project" that was it. I wasnt criticising the club for signing young talent

 

Sounds like he could be a bit of a fiery character. Well, he's got the perfect manager and skipper to learn from on how to channel that.

 

Only thing I don't like from that interview is how he says he's learned from his mistakes but was still recently saying he was only going somewhere where he'd be the main man..

Still though...we're moving along nicely now..

 

Might be a lost in translation thing.

could be “I want to go somewhere where I will make myself no1” and our media have twisted it! Wouldn’t surprise me!

 

Aye that crossed my mind..

Hopefully the mad sounding * gets off and running on Saturday..

 

Two walking sticks? Doesn't look good for the medical....

 

10 year deal!

 

Really not digging this one at all. That interview isn’t really selling him well at all.

 

“Now I know my strengths and weaknesses. I know I’m not suited for a technical game or for dribbling.”

Don't like the sound of that. Most of his goals look like counter attacking goals. How useful is he going to be against teams parking the bus at Parkhead?

Actually liked the rest of his interview tough, quite honest. And sounds like he'll be up for the physical battle here.

 

Yeh I get that too , but you got to admire the honesty ,when a person can admit they got it wrong it shows they are ready to learn .

 

What

 

What have I said there that you don’t understand?

He’s gave an interview saying he’s not a technical player or good at dribbling, he’s had attitude issues in the past and apparently he likes fighting. Doesn’t sound too good does it?

 

He was accused of having a big ego early in his career sounds like hes went the total opposite

 

Dont really like that comment either, on paper not the kind of player I'd expect to thrive domestically. Pace in behind isn't something we get to use too often.

It's been great having someone like Edouard who can create his own half yard in tight spaces, don't like the idea of going from him to someone who just wants to run in behind. Would rather a Hooper like striker.

 

we need a natural goal scorer , busy in the penalty box

countless times this season weve flashed balls across the 6 yard box , in the air or on the deck and no ones there, if he can solve that problem ( going by his highlights ) then id settle for that , let the others do the donkey work