Alan Stubbs insists new arrival Moritz Jenz has instantly endeared himself to the Celtic fans and earned the respect of the his new teammates after a dream debut in Dingwall.
The 23-year-old, who joined the Hoops on a season-long loan from Lorient, ran straight into the crowd to celebrate with the sold-out away end – and was perhaps fortunate not to be shown a second yellow by referee Don Robertson.
Stubbs was sent off on his Celtic debut after joining for a record £3.5m transfer fee in 1996/97, however, after finding his feet, he went on to enjoy many successful years at Parkhead.
The English centre-back was in attendance at the weekend and watched Jenz head home Jota’s cross to give Celtic a crucial lead six minutes from time – and he has lavished praise on the new defender who was handed his debut after Stephen Welsh took unwell.
He said: “It will certainly give Moritz belief. It is always, not matter who you are and how much you have been brought in for, a little amount or a large amount, important to settle as quickly as possible. That is the main thing when you join a new club. So to score such an important goal can only do him a lot of good.
“We have seen players go to all kinds of different clubs and take time to settle in. Strikers always want to score that first goal and build momentum from there. But it is the same with all players.
“They want to start off with good performances and quickly endear themselves to the fans and he has certainly done that. It is a step in the right direction for him at the weekend. I am sure the manager will be hoping he can build on his start.
“Debuts can make you and break you at a club. My debut was very eventful. There is nothing you can do sometimes when decisions go against you. That was a decision that went against me.
“But the most concerning thing is performances. If you can get the right level of performances under your belt you go a long way to settling, feeling comfortable amongst the players and also gaining the respect of the players.
“That is a big thing as well when you sign for a new club. Yes, you want to earn the respect of the fans, but you want to earn the respect of your fellow teammates. Moritz did both at the weekend and he will be a positive frame of mind now going into the Kilmarnock match at Rugby Park this Sunday.
“The players have all started the season off as well as they would have wanted. They got a good win at a difficult place on Saturday. Ross County have made huge strides under Malky Mackay and they made it difficult for large parts of the game. They now need to keep their start going.”
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