Thread: Hinkel Happy to Stay at Celtic

Celtic defender Andreas Hinkel insists he is still enjoying his football in Scotland and would be happy to stay.

The German international, who has a year left on his contract with Celtic, also believes Neil Lennon is doing a good job in charge of the club.

"I feel quite happy here, but in football you never know," said Hinkel. "It's just one year, but at the moment, I feel quite well here.

"Neil is doing a very good job, he's a leader and I think he can do it."

Despite the upheaval at Celtic this season, with the club failing to collect any silverware and the sacking of Tony Mowbray as manager in March, Hinkel said he believed Lennon was the right man to take Celtic forward.

"It was a big disappointment for everyone involved with the club and I hope we can do better next season," said Hinkel.

"I've known Neil as a player, when Gordon Strachan was here. He's doing a very good job and he's a good guy."

Hinkel was speaking at the launch of a foreign language project, "Kicker Club Auf Deutsch" ('Kicker Club in German') at Bishopbriggs Academy in Glasgow, where pupils are encouraged to learn to speak German through participation in football training.

Wolfgang Moessinger, the German Consul General in Scotland, said the project should help spark young people's interest in modern Germany, its culture and language.

"This is Curriculum for Excellence in practice, because it combines two subjects and brings an expert in like Andreas Hinkel and gives the pupils a chance to use their German in a real-life situation like playing football," said Moessinger.

"It encourages pupils to communicate with others and gives them enhanced opportunities later in life - such as going abroad to make a living - which is much better if you speak other languages, other than your own language."

Hinkel arrived at Celtic in from Spanish side Sevilla for a fee of around £1.9m in February 2008 and said he had initially underestimated how difficult it would be to improve his English while playing football in Scotland.

"My English was okay, but it was not the best," said Hinkel. "I had lived for one and a half years in Spain and I was used to Spanish at the time.

"I improved my English and now I can have a good conversation, but it was very difficult because of the Scottish accent.

"Now, it's not a problem at all to understand people."

The attacking right-back, who joined Sevilla from his home town club Stuttgart in June 2006, has also featured 21 times for the German national side and is still hopeful that he may be selected for the squad heading to the World Cup in South Africa in June.

"There's a very, very small chance," said Hinkel.

"I would like to play, but I am always proud if I am picked for the German squad.

"But, for now, I think it's a small chance - a very small chance."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/foot...ic/8637636.stm

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Get his contract renewed ASAP!

Good news, I like Hinkel, easily in my top 3 favourite players.

Mr. Dependable, get him signed up!!

Good news, at long fucking last some good news

happy days, It's always nice to see when our better players are keen on staying with us.

Great news. Was worried he'd leave this summer.

That's awfae sound of him.

as long as he renews his contract its happy days, if not i'd rather sell him and recoup some cash wonga.

Good good, i agree he's one of the few players at the club i have confidence in. Cacking player.

Like the guy. Dunno why the fuck Wilson is getting a game at RB under Lenny though :/

Originally Posted by Liam67

Like the guy. Dunno why the fuck Wilson is getting a game at RB under Lenny though :/

Mind boggling that.

i dont think its mind boggling that wilsons been getting a game, the team needed freshened up and hinkel had had a few bad games.

Originally Posted by clagan

i dont think its mind boggling that wilsons been getting a game, the team needed freshened up and hinkel had had a few bad games.

Wilson's been worse! Hinkel's twice the player tbh. The team needed shaking up but RBs been one of the only positions to get passmarks this season. Shake the team up by doing something with Brown/N'Guemo, bring in Crosas, drop the two man midfield. Shake it up by giving Ras a few starts. Dropping Hinkel is madness.

good news and hopefully he will extend his stay at Celtic I agree with Claire here, he´s really a nice guy and down to earth. Met him last year after the Hearts game (last game of last Season) and he asked me if I was on holiday and wished me fun.

I think Lenny was giving Wilson a chance to prove himself. Can´t think of a another/different reason. Hinkel is like Dusty said twice the player

Funny how the Evening Times 'journo' took one line from his quotes and decided he was leaving.

Celtic’s German full-back Andreas Hinkel may quit Paradise in the summer.

Hinkel is entering the final year of his current Hoops deal and was monitored by Hertha Berlin during the January transfer window.

He admitted: “I feel quite happy here but in football you never know.”

Hinkel also revealed he has been impressed by Lennon’s caretaker stewardship.

He said: “Neil is doing a very good job.”

http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/...oper-1.1022607

Originally Posted by Cash67

Funny how the Evening Times 'journo' took one line from his quotes and decided he was leaving.


http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/...oper-1.1022607

That boils my fuckin blood, shit stirring scum. Say whaever you want about england, but they have a positive media that want good for their country. The cunts up here just don't have that mentality.

Originally Posted by Squire

That boils my fuckin blood, shit stirring scum. Say whaever you want about england, but they have a positive media that want good for their country. The cunts up here just don't have that mentality.

They do want good for their country, it's just that their idea of good doesn't involve 'fenian bastards'. Fuck each and every one of them