The name Adrian Beck will have meant absolutely nothing to Celtic fans until they saw him come onto the pitch for Hamilton at a week or so ago, but for the German midfielder, playing against Neil Lennon’s team meant everything.
Loaned to the Accies from Royal Union Saint Gilloise for the season, the German midfielder’s rise in European football has been nothing short of impressive as up until January of this year, the 22-year-old was still playing in his country’s fourth tier with SSV Ulm 1946.
Beck was then transferred to Belgium on January 11th before heading to Hamilton on September 2nd after being told he wouldn’t get much game time with the Proximus League side.
He hasn’t exactly been swimming in minutes since arriving at Fountain of Youth Stadium either, but he has come off the bench twice, making his debut against Celtic on September 14th.
Speaking to local newspaper Stimme in Germany, Beck looked back at his rapid rise.
He said: “I’m not really the type who changes every six months, but professional football is a business. I’ve gone from opponents like Backnang and Spielberg, and now Celtic Glasgow. Football is crazy”.
Struggling a bit with the Scottish accent, which he says has ‘nothing to do with the English I once learned in school’, Beck was, however, taken aback by the level of support, especially from the Celtic end.
‘Not expecting’ to come on against Neil Lennon’s men, he said: “An incredible atmosphere, you realise how important football is here”.
