Glenn Loovens has warned Stephen McManus and Gary Caldwell he will oust one of them from the centre of Celtic�s defence, even if it takes him four years.
Glenn Loovens has warned Stephen McManus and Gary Caldwell he will oust one of them from the centre of Celtic's defence, even if it takes him four years.
McManus and Caldwell remain very much the first-choice pairing for the Scottish champions but manager Gordon Strachan signed Loovens this summer as part of his bid to increase competition for places at Parkhead.
The Dutch defender started the last three games for the club and found himself playing for a Celtic Select against Derry City last night. But despite enjoying regular first-team football before his £2.5m move from Cardiff, Loovens has no problem with fighting for his place.
"Mick McManus and Gary are top players and it won't be easy to break up that partnership," said Loovens. "But I've signed for four years at Celtic, that's a long time. The manager has been good with me, and I know what I have to do."
Loovens has no regrets about choosing Parkhead over Ibrox, with Rangers also interested in signing him this summer. "I think the games I've played so far have been okay. Football-wise, I'm satisfied. Things are going well and I'm settling in more every week. Obviously, I want to play more games. But I'm certain I made the right decision to come here. I just need to wait for my chance, and hopefully it will come.
"There is real competition for those two places. And, while we all get on well, we all have the same aim. It can only be good for the club, though."
Loovens says he welcomes the pressure of being at a club who are expected to win every Clydesdale Bank Premier League game they play. "The standard of the SPL is what I expected," he said. "The expectation is always there. But that's not a problem. It's something you have to cope with because we're expected to win every game. I relish that sort of pressure, though. I came to Celtic to win things, to progress my career, and that's what I'm doing."
