Joel van den Berg is among many new arrivals at Celtic this summer. At just 19 years old, the Dutch teenager is the club’s youngest permanent signing from the 2026 transfer window.

 He was included in the matchday squad for the first time at the weekend as Celtic secured a 2-1 victory over St Mirren, giving him an early taste of Scottish football.

Van den Berg, who joined from PSV for £2.9 million, has made clear that the fixture he is most excited about is his first appearance at Celtic Park. 

In an exclusive interview with the club’s media, he explained that people at his former club had nothing negative to say about Celtic. He described the Scottish champions as a big club with a long history.

He added that every player looks forward to playing in those high-profile matches in front of a packed house, and that this is what he is particularly anticipating.

Celtic remain frustrated by another Champions League setback, yet Martin O’Neill’s side will still feature in European competition this season, unlike their city rivals. 

Attention now turns to a busy schedule. On Wednesday night, the team faces a rearranged Premiership clash with St Johnstone before heading to Ibrox on Sunday for a League Cup meeting with Rangers.

The Europa League campaign then begins with a home tie against Ferencvaros, a period that will thoroughly test the depth of the squad.

Van den Berg and the other summer signings will be hoping to force their way into the side regularly in the weeks and months ahead.

With fixtures coming thick and fast across domestic and European competitions, that extra quality and freshness in the ranks is likely to prove essential if Celtic are to challenge on multiple fronts.