Celtic Summer Exiles Shine at New Clubs

Celtic’s summer exiles are wasting no time proving their worth elsewhere.

Kelechi Iheanacho, Arne Engels and Reo Hatate all left Glasgow under very different clouds, but each has hit the ground running at their new clubs, turning a summer of uncertainty into an early-season statement.

Iheanacho catches fire in Turkey

No one has made more noise than Iheanacho.

The Nigerian striker has been reborn at Bursaspor, rattling in six goals and adding two assists in his first five league matches. He has scored in every single league game so far, a ruthless streak that eluded him during the closing stages of his Celtic spell.

• Five games.
• Five scoring appearances.
• Eight direct goal contributions.

For a player whose Celtic future looked bleak just a few months ago, it is a striking response.

Engels starts to show his worth at West Ham

Engels’ start in England has been more of a slow burn, but the signs are growing brighter.

After a difficult debut, the Belgian midfielder has begun to settle at West Ham. He set up a goal in a 4-2 win over Wolves, a first glimpse of the creativity that persuaded the Hammers to invest heavily in him.

Then came Derby County.

In a 3-0 victory, Engels produced the kind of all-round display that turns sceptics into believers: six chances created, eight recoveries, influence at both ends of the pitch. West Ham supporters have reacted positively online, quick to highlight the quality that helped Celtic command a record fee for a Championship club.

The early narrative of a shaky start is already shifting.

Hatate’s flair lights up Burnley debut

Hatate’s move may have been the most surprising of the lot.

Burnley swooped on deadline day, taking the Japanese playmaker from Celtic in a £6.5m deal plus add-ons. For a player so central to the Hoops’ recent success, his departure raised eyebrows.

He answered some of those questions immediately.

Handed a starting spot straight away against Bristol City, Hatate wasted little time showing why he was so coveted. He teed up Burnley’s opening goal, slipping straight into the creative heartbeat role that defined his time at Celtic Park.

Burnley still went down 2-1, but the individual display did not go unnoticed. Manager Nicky Hayen, who previously faced Hatate during Brendan Rodgers’ first season back at Celtic, praised his performance after the match. Back then, Hayen’s side held Celtic to a 1-1 draw. Now he has the Japanese midfielder on his side, and he clearly likes what he sees.

A different kind of Celtic departure story

Leaving Celtic Park has tripped up plenty of players in the past. The stage shrinks, the expectations shift, and the supposed greener grass can quickly turn patchy.

This time, the early evidence tells a different story.

Iheanacho is scoring for fun in Turkey. Engels is beginning to look at home in the Premier League. Hatate has walked into the Championship and immediately created a goal.

For Celtic, it reflects well when their former players step out into new leagues and still shine. For the three of them, it raises a sharper question:

If this is only the start, just how far can they push on from here?