Celtic defender Hatem Abd Elhamed says he is very thankful for the faith that manager Neil Lennon has shown in him.

The Irishman was instrumental in bringing the 28-year-old to Parkhead and the Israeli international says he is very keen to repay him with performances out on the pitch:

“The coach is the one who brought me here and fought for me. In one of the interviews, he said he didn’t understand how he brought such a player at such a cheap price.”

“He didn’t understand how such a player came out of the Israeli league. He has given everything so I could be here and I will give my all to repay him for that.”

Unfortunately for Abd Elhamed, injury has very much curtailed his first season in Scottish football. A troublesome groin injury kept him out for the best part of four months and he has only played 12 minutes since his return due to the Coronavirus outbreak.

Even so, during his brief cameo, he managed to provide an assist in the 5-0 win over St Mirren, leading to praise from supporters after the game.

Abd Elhamed may have only played 14 games during his spell at Celtic, but from what we have seen from him, there is every chance he could establish himself as a first-team regular for the next few years at least.