NEW Celtic signing Josip Juranovic has revealed a chat with former goalkeeper Artur Boruc helped sway the defender on a move to Parkhead.
The 26-year-old joined in a deal worth around £2.5million from Polish outfit Legia Warsaw and will compete with Anthony Raltson for the right-back berth in Ange Postecoglou's starting XI.
The Croatian, part of the team that defeated Scotland 3-1 at Hampden during this summer's delayed European Championships, says he is excited to test himself at a higher level after pitching up in Glasgow's East End.
And Juranovic added that talks with Boruc, a Celtic fan favourite from his time as first-choice goalkeeper between 2005 and 2010 and current Legia No.1, helped convince the defender that the club were the correct next step in his career.
"I was like ‘this is a big club and a big opportunity for me, I want to see myself on this stage’," Juranovic told Celtic's YouTube channel. "I want to give everything here. That’s it.
"I am a team player and I like to show my ability: to cross, to assist, running – giving everything to win the game.
"[Boruc] was saying to me that this is a good opportunity for me: a big stage, a great club, everything. And also because of him I am here."
Juranovic reckons that Postecoglou's all-action playing style should suit him down to a tee - particularly, he says, the attacking license he will be given at full-back.
"I watched four games and they looked really good," Juranovic said of his new team. "I like him [Postecoglou] because he plays attacking football.
"Every player is in the half of the opposing team. I am really looking forward to it."
Juranovic, capped 10 times for his country, signed off in style from Legia with a remarkable 25-yard thunderbolt in his final outing for the club in a 2-2 draw Slavia Prague in the Europa League.
And while the defender won't play his part in the second leg, he feels that the memorabe strike was a fitting goodbye to his former employers.
"It was a great moment to go," he added. "I received the ball at the halfway line, saw the space and ran into it. After five seconds I was thinking to have a shot and after that …
What a goal Josip Juranović. pic.twitter.com/rKfIyrKz2i
— Li'l Ze (@LilZe_7) August 19, 2021
"I didn’t believe it was a goal but after five seconds I was happy. You can see my celebration is a total disaster! But for me it was a very good moment."
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