Timing is perfect as Celtic acquire Miku just as he demonstrates his true value

Saturday 15 September 2012

The arrival at Lennoxtown of Nicolas Fedor brought good news and bad to the roster of forwards under Neil Lennon's command at Celtic.

Miku is a Venezuelan striker who has impressed in Spain, but one who has shown all the attributes of the traditional Scottish centre forward. Picture: EPA

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Neil White

The good news: here is a player hard-wired to sacrifice himself for the team; to break defences so that those around him can get through to score. The bad news: this time, Celtic have not acquired a raw talent to develop over time. "He's a player we liked but didn't think we could get," said Lennon after securing the 27-year-old on a season's loan from Getafe, with an option to buy. He knew he had signed a starter. The line for a place in the Celtic attack just got longer for those further back.

Miku, as Fedor is known, is a starter, too, for a strong Venezuela side. They narrowly missed out on a place at the 2010 World Cup. The South American zone ended in a bloody scramble for the final play-off spot, with four teams covered by two points. In the final analysis, had Venezuela found one more goal against Uruguay in the latter stages of qualifying, it would have been they and not their opponents that went to South Africa. "We were so close," said Miku. "Once we saw the finals, we realised the gap between the nations was not as big as we had thought. Now we are at a stage where we know we can go toe-to-toe with any team."Yet his relations with his home country needed some management after an interview he gave in Spain some time ago. He was asked by a journalist for his views on Hugo Chavez, president of Venezuela since 1999 and his response was critical, in particular in relation to issues around freedom of the press and education. This was an uncommon interview with a footballer who was still finding his way in the big league in Spain. Miku took some flak when the interview was published, but issued a clarification: he was pushed for his views on Chavez, a divisive figure at home and abroad. The bottom line had been buried: "I love Venezuela". Miku's paternal grandparents escaped a concentration camp in Hungary during the Second World War and boarded a boat bound for Venezuela. This refugee couple settled in their new country and there Miku's father met his mother, but that unit did not remain together for long. "We were a humble family," he recalled. "From the age of three my dad didn't live with us. My mum worked two different jobs, one in the morning, one in the evening. I would go to school in the morning and in the evening I played football. Sometimes, when I was a kid, I did some work to earn some money. We never went hungry."This work ethic would translate into his game. The game would soon take him away from Venezuela.At the age of 15, he travelled to Spain. Miku had an uncle with a friend who lived in Sueca, near Valencia. Soon after arriving, he decided he would not return. "It was really tough," he said. "I was alone, no friends and I was trying to become accustomed to an entirely new life. I knew it was not going to be easy but I relied on my perseverance."That family friend had an acquaintance in the town of Villarreal. The football club there were looking at him, but, a year after arriving in Spain, Miku ended up in the Valencia academy, a contemporary of David Silva and, later, Juan Mata.At the start, there was a lot of traffic between the forward and a place in La Liga. Between 2004 and 2010 he was loaned five times to clubs outside the top league and had a stint with Valencia B. In 2010 he was sold to Getafe, as an understudy to Roberto Soldado. When the Spain striker made the opposite journey, from Getafe to Valencia, Miku was promoted to the starting slot for last season. He top scored with 12 goals, including two against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu. It was at this point that Lennon must have felt the striker was moving out of his range.Yet here he is. A man who once complained about the weather in Spain has chosen to move to Scotland. Perhaps Glasgow has more to offer – Miku paused studies in architecture as he advanced through the system at Valencia. In terms of his profession, it was the lure of the Champions League that gave Lennon an ace as he beat Swansea City and Michael Laudrup, their manager, in a deadline day game of poker.Miku's ethic, if not the totality of his game, is a traditional fit with that of the Scottish centre forward. Asked to describe his most effective attributes, he once said: "Hard work, commitment, battling. I will never stop working for my team-mates."When Lennon got his man he said: "[Miku] has got proven pedigree in La Liga and he will compliment [Gary] Hooper very, very well."The overall picture is of a complete player, proven at international level and in the top league in Spain, perhaps signed just as he played himself out of Celtic's price range. It is also of a strong character, with a story unlike most of those he will share a dressing room with in Perth today. Celtic have become the slickest machine in the top flight, but at times they have appeared to lack a punch up front, at times they look short of standard-bearers on the pitch when things go wrong. In Miku they may have found the right player at the right time.

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Timing is perfect as Celtic acquire Miku just as he demonstrates his true value

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