Celtic defender Moritz Jenz looks set to make his loan move permanent because he reckons playing for the Hoops is like a religion.

And he insists they will improve their performances in Europe with more experience.

The 23-year-old German defender is on a season-long loan from French outfit Lorient and has impressed with his displays so far.

And he has admitted he's loving life at Celtic so far...despite the antics of Scottish clubs' strikers.

He said: "It was important to me from the start to establish close contact with the fans because they support this club and make it something special.

"When you wear the shirt, you are not playing for yourself, you are playing to be a part of Celtic's history of success.

"Celtic is old school, Celtic is mysterious, Celtic is pure football and above all Celtic is a religion. When you stand at a home game, close your eyes and get goosebumps just from the chants, you know why this club fascinates the world.

"Scottish football is extremely physical. From my point of view, the strikers are very hard. Trash talk and concealed kicks against any part of the body are apparently normal in Scotland. So I had to learn how to take action!

“We are characterised by a really great unity. When we say we're a team, we prove that out on the pitch. All of us want to play for Celtic and have a winning mentality.

"When we stand in the tunnel, we promise ourselves to stand up for each other like a wall.

"In my opinion, our results in the Champions League were because of a lack of international experience. You only learn over time and with enough games how to assert yourself against international stars."

And Jenz, in an interview with Swiss website transfermarkt.ch, illustrated how there is no hiding place in Glasgow and insisted he can help meet his international ambitions by playing for Celtic.

He recalled: "Nobody calls me Moritz anymore, they just say Mercedes.

"A few weeks ago I went jogging with my dog at 6am because I thought no one would see me. Suddenly a large number of construction workers called down from a high-rise building: 'Hey Mercedes, stop, we want a photo.'

"They actually stopped work so they could take a picture with me. Unbelievable, but somehow also incredibly beautiful. The city is really green and white.

"Maybe because I spent my youth in England, I was never on the international radar. But of course, it would be a big dream to one day wear the jersey of the German national team - and that's what I'm working towards."

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