Welcome to Celtic, Sebastian Tounekti.

Bit of a Jota vibe to him, to a certain extent anyway - very solid debut.

 

Most likely the FM-loving son/nephew of our actual scouts

 

Scouted by mistake. Celtic scouted a Hammarby CB but he did not want to join us.100% luck

Skickat från min SM-F956B via Tapatalk

 

Did we not miss out on the guy Toure who he replaced in February?

 

Yeah i don't think we wanted to pay that kinda money, which was another mistake because that guy will go to the absolute top. Happy with Tounekti so far though

 

Hopefully the wee man has a change of heart but I suppose I'll just need to accept that it's 99.9% certain he be going

 

That's an incredibly pessimistic way to view things... A scout was sent to see someone and spotted another talent while there (or potentially intended to do both at the same time?)... That's literally what you pay scouts to do...

 

We had a scout at that game after Rodgers had categorically said we were done at CB with the Pusey signing so we def weren't scouting the CB that game.

 

You can view it that way as well. It is confirmed we scouted a CB who ironically was not for sale. Confirmed by Hammarbys chairman.

So it was luck that there happened to be a winger who performed well that day while we were there scouting players in a position we dont need and that was not for sale.

 

Who knows who is correct. Both the c hairman and the player said Celtic where there to scout the CB. Also all over the papers here with direct quoutes. That they informed Celtic that he is unfortunately not for sale.

 

Is the CB any good?

 

Im not to sure to be honest. A big physical guy but i don't watch to much Swedish football. I have catched a few Hammarby games after we were linked with him and since then they have conceded quite a bunch of goals.

Who knows? We maybe went public with the CB to keep others from snatching Tounekti

 

Did not expect him to be as strong and direct.. he won't be bullied. Can do really well with us.

Sent from my Pixel 8 Pro using Tapatalk

 

Just from the highlights

Right away he reminds me of jota


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Great player. 100%.

 

The celebrations have just about subsided after Sunday’s dramatic last-gasp winner at a rain-soaked Rugby Park, where Kelechi Iheanacho’s coolly-dispatched penalty-kick in the 96th minute secured all three points for Celtic.

Weather-wise, it was a miserable day on the Ayrshire coast, but one man who shone brightly through the gloom was Sebastian Tounekti, with the winger putting in a Man of the Match performance on his Celtic debut.

The Tunisian internationlist, who joined the Hoops from Swedish side, Hammarby on transfer deadline day, was a thorn in the side of the Kilmarnock defence all afternoon and earned rave-reviews for his first display in the Hoops.

Speaking to the media at Celtic Park today, he reflected on life at Celtic so far, his debut performance and why moving to the Scottish champions was the correct choice for him.

“It’s been a nice start,” Tounekti said. “There are fantastic people in and around the club so it’s been a good start for me.

“It gives you a nice feeling, especially at a club like this, it’s good to have a nice start.

‘For me, I feel like it’s only the beginning. I have so much more to show.’

“This is a massive club. It’s a club with a lot of history and they win titles, so for a player of my age, it’s the best step that I could make.

“I know the playing style should fit me well, so it was a really easy choice to come here.

“And of course, everything around the club with the fans, the amazing stadium and to play in Europe, it was perfect.”




If Sunday’s positive performance at Rugby Park is anything to go by, then the Celtic faithful have every right to be excited to see more of Tounekti in the green and white.

The 23-year-old joined Brendan Rodgers' squad on a five-year-deal just over a fortnight ago, and he says that he sees himself at Celtic for years to come as he explained what supporters can expect to see from him on the pitch.

He added: “I’m the type of player who likes to play with responsibility. I like to attack, take on players and make a difference.

“I think I’m really going to enjoy it and hopefully I’ll contribute with goals and assists.

‘I want to play for Celtic for a long time. Hopefully we can win many trophies together.’

“To play for Celtic, it’s massive. And for me, I see myself being here for many years.

“My only focus is to perform and help the team win games and win more trophies. When you play for Celtic it’s a must to win trophies, so I’m happy to be here.”

 

X-factor. Exactly what we've been crying out for. The type of player you pay to go and see, and who always gives you hope of scoring or creating even when playing * (which unfortunately might be more often than not this season).

 

What have your first impressions of Celtic been?

It's been really good. It's a massive club, and yeah, it's been a nice start.

So yeah, there are fantastic people around the club and in the club. So yeah, it's been a really good start for me.




How encouraging was it to start so well and play so well on your debut?

It's always good to have a nice start. It gives you a good feeling, especially for a club like this.

It's always nice to have a nice start, and for me, I feel like it's only the beginning. I feel like I have so much more to show, so hopefully, I will bring more out through the season.






How did the move come about in the summer? Were you aware of the interest for a long time - maybe talk us through the process?

I was aware of the interest throughout the summer.

I knew that Hammarby didn't want to sell, of course, but the club and I were really interested in the sale. So, yeah, I'm just glad that we could manage it.

I'm just really happy to be a Celtic player.





It went on pretty late. Were you ever worried that it maybe wouldn't happen in this window?

Yeah, as you said, it was really late, but yeah, it went through.

So, yeah, I'm just happy that it went through.




So just tell us - why Celtic?

I think, of course, it's a massive club. It's a club with lots of history that has won titles.

So, for a player of my age, I think it’s the best step that I could have made, and I know the playing style should fit me well.

So, it was a really easy choice to go here. And of course, everything around the club, also with the fans and amazing stadiums, and to play in the Europa League.

Yeah, it was a (good) fit.








In terms of the Europa League, you spoke about that there. Were you aware of Celtic's interest there a few weeks before, when they could get into the Champions League, and was the Champions League play-off something that you watched? Obviously disappointed that Celtic didn't make it to?

As I said, I heard about the interest through the summer, and of course, I watched the games, the Champions League games.

Of course, we all wanted to go through to the Champions League, but now we are in the Europa League, and we're going to do everything we can to have a good campaign.







And that didn't affect your decision at all to come here?

No. As I said to you, when I heard about the interest, it was because it was some clubs that were interested in the summer.

When I heard about Celtic, I told my agent and everyone around me that it was my only choice if I was going to leave Hammarby at that stage.






How was it watching those Champions League games?

Of course, you want the team to play well and to go through.

We all know that in football, it's never easy, especially when you play Champions League qualifiers, you're going to meet teams who are good, and the team from Kazakhstan (FC Kairat) played well, I think.

So, yeah, as I said, of course you wanted the team to go through, but the reality is that we're going to play in the Europa League and we're going to do everything we can to make a good campaign there.






You've had a few clubs already, and you're still a young guy. Do you see Celtic now as a place you could stay for a good few years?

100 per cent. I want to play for Celtic for a long time.

I think I can come here, and hopefully we can win many trophies together. So, for me, I see myself being here for many years.










Can you just tell us in more detail what Transfer Deadline Day was like for you? Where were you? How quickly did you get the call to come here?

It was pretty hectic. Of course, the window was closing on Monday evening.

So we have to get everything through with medical and paperwork and everything, but yeah, all credit to Celtic and Hammarby, they managed it, and it went pretty fast on Monday.

So yeah, it was a little bit of a stressful day, but I'm just happy to be here.








When did you get the green light to have the medical on that Monday?

Yeah, it was in the morning, the Monday morning.

So, we did it in Stockholm, and then I took the flight to Glasgow and finished everything else.










When you first heard of Celtic's interest, was there any Scottish influences you could call upon for advice or anything like that?

I don't think I needed that.

For me, when I heard about Celtic, it was a really easy choice. When a club like Celtic is interested and wants you, I think the only thing you can do is to try to make it happen.

I think to have the chance to play for Celtic, not many people can say that. So, for me, I'm just really happy and really proud to play for Celtic.








In terms of your position, we saw you play on the left on Sunday. The club have quite a few left wingers, though or players that would prefer to play on the left. The new signings and Jota, Daizen (Maeda) often played off the left. Is that your strongest position, but are you able to play on the right? Can you play centrally?

Of course, I think everyone knows that my strongest position is on the left wing, but I also played some games on the right wing, especially a few years ago when I was in Bodo/Glimt, where I played a lot on the right wing.

So I can also play there if the manager wants me to play there. I'm just happy to be on the pitch, and whenever I'm on the pitch, I will try to contribute and help the team win games.






You said you want to be here for many years, but was part of your decision to come to Celtic looking at other players that have moved here from similar-sized clubs, similar-sized leagues that they came from and gone on to some of Europe's top leagues, for example, Matt O'Riley or Nicolas Kuhn just last summer. Was that part of your decision as well, that you see the pathway is there?

I think, as you said, that to play for Celtic, it's massive. For me, I see myself being here for many years.

So, I think my only focus is to be here and now and to perform and to help the team to win games and hopefully win more trophies because when you play for Celtic, it's a must to win trophies and stuff like that.

So, yeah, I'm just happy to be here.










You mentioned Hammarby didn't really want to lose you. How actively did you pursue a move? What did you have to do to make the deal happen?

Of course, I understood that Hammarby wanted to keep me. They were fighting for a Europa League place, and I was maybe one of the main men there.

So, I understood that Hammarby wanted to keep me, but I felt like I had a good talk with Hammarby, and I told them about my ambitions, and I told them that this is something I wanted really badly.

All respect to Hammarby. I'm just happy that we could find a solution for everyone. So yeah, I'm just happy to be here.






you think then your stance greatly influenced your decision once a fee was reached with Celtic to let you go?

Yeah, I think so, because, as I said to Hammarby, I think it was a big opportunity.

So, yeah, I'm just really happy that they could see my view on it. All respect to Hammarby and to making it happen.










There's quite a lot of responsibility on the wingers at Celtic because, typically in Scotland, teams might sit behind the ball, and the responsibilities on the wide players are to go and make something happen. How much are you going to enjoy that responsibility?

I'm really going to enjoy that because I'm the type of player who likes to play, who likes to play with that responsibility.

I like to attack, and I like to take on players and make a difference. So, yeah, I think I'm really going to enjoy it and hopefully I will contribute with more goals and assists in the future.









You did that at the weekend, but you still feel there's plenty more where that came from?

Yeah, 100 per cent. I've just been here for a week now. So, I feel like I have much more to prove and to show.

So, yeah, I'm just looking forward to the next game and to taking more steps.







Tunisia have obviously qualified for the World Cup. How much of a dream is that for you for next summer?

100 per cent. As a child, everyone has a dream to play in the World Cup. So, that would be, of course, something that I really want.






A big goal for you then, while you're here?

Yeah, 100 per cent.

I know that if I do well here and if I play games and do well, that'll strengthen my position in that.

And before then, there's the African Cup of Nations. Is that a big target for you?

Of course, it's always an honour to represent the nation, but yeah, as of now, I just focus on the games we have here.

We have many cool games and many important games in the future.