Benjamin Nygren

On the ball he looks great (mistake for their 3rd aside). Off the ball I think he has a bit of work to do just with the defensive positioning but that will probably come with time

 

The lad is absolute quality.
Nygren will likely replace Engels but I think he
could even rotate in at #6 instead of Calmac, he is so good on the ball.

 

Thought he was fine first 30 mins.

That's it. Hard to reconcile with others opinions. Absolutely puzzled.

 

Very early days trying not to go overboard with my hype for him but he feels like another McGregor.

 

Celtic summer signing Benjamin Nygren says the opportunity to play under Brendan Rodgers was a big factor in his decision to join the club from Danish outfit Nordsjælland.


Nygren also believes his mentality has been instrumental in helping him overcome the “ups and downs” that followed since making his debut at just 16, and dealing with comparisons to fellow Swede Zlatan Ibrahimović.

Speaking after the 5-1 defeat to Ajax in Celtic’s opening Como Cup match, the midfielder says integrating has not been an issue since arriving last month.

“I’ve only had very good first impressions of everything, all the staff, players, the organisation and all of the fans,” said Nygren. “It’s been easy to settle in and I’ll just try to focus on doing my thing and show my qualities.

"We have very good players and I have already seen in the training games that we have a lot of quality. It wasn’t good enough against Ajax but we will be ready."



Since making a first appearance for boyhood club IFK Goteborg whilst still in school, Nygren has had to overcome the obstacles that come with being labelled a ‘wonderkid’ at such a young age.



Rejecting moves to Europe’s elite, the teenager opted to hone his craft with Belgian side Genk, seemingly the perfect place to develop away from the limelight.

However, almost three years and a mere seven appearances later, Nygren was on his way out, having spent two seasons on loan with Dutch club Heerenveen. This time however, the now 20-year-old found a home for his talents with Nordsjaelland, a famed stepping stone for young players.

Now, with 87 games and 25 goals for the Danish club under his belt, Nygren says he is ready to test himself on Europe’s biggest stage. “It’s a high ambition. It’s one of those dreams I have to play in the Champions League and hear the anthem.”

Nygard cited the influence of new boss Rodgers in his decision to make the move to Glasgow. “I’ve got a really good impression of him. We’ve had very good contact and he was a big part of why I came here. I had a really good talk with him before I signed,” said Nygren.

“I'm 24, so I have my best years ahead. I wanted to come to a big club that plays in the biggest competitions and Celtic have everything. Playing in front of 60,000 every home game is going to be amazing.”

However the bright lights of Celtic Park will not be blinding for Nygren, who has had time to adjust to rapturous roars from big crowds.

“The first time I played in front of a large audience was in Gothenburg when I was 16,” he said. “They also have a lot of fans, very good fans that I had a really good relationship with.”


Having endured his fair share of disappointments, Nygren pointed to his mentality as key behind the ability to dust himself off and stay focused from a young age, where others might have gone off track.

“Everyone who’s in sports knows how important the mental part is,” he said. “For a 16 year old I had good focus, but I’ve also learnt a lot since then. I feel like I’ve learned from the ups and downs and it’s been very healthy.”

“When I was young I had a clear view that I wanted to be a professional football player and when anyone asked me what I wanted to be, I always said that,” said Nygren, who remained firm in his convictions when asked if he had any alternatives.

That conviction forms part of a character that has now arrived at the former club of his countryman Henrik Larsson, whose reputation at Celtic has not gone unnoticed by Nygren.

“Of course I know him, ‘King of Kings’!” Nygren said. “I’ve seen YouTube clips of him scoring a lot of goals for Celtic. I haven’t met Henrik, but Jordan (his son) is an amazing guy, and is also doing very well in his career.”

Asked if he might try tempt Jordan to join him in Glasgow, he said, “It’s never quite worked out that way but it’s never too late you know,” Nygren joked. “But that’s not my job!”

 

Oozes class. Need a few more of his level for the starting XI.