FROM Nir Bitton to Beram Kayal and Eyal Berkovic, Glasgow’s green and white have a recent lineage of Israeli Celts. Hatem Abd Elhamed now joins the Paradise ranks with a clear raison d’etre – to impress, to win trophies, and to make history at the biggest club in Scotland.

A domestic champion in his home country, the 28-year-old defender knows what it means to play under pressure, to secure silverware and to perform in front of a passionate fanbase, and he wants to continue on that pathway with Neil Lennon and his new Treble Treble-winning colleagues.

Hapoel Be’er Sheva, Elhamed’s previous club, played Celtic in the play-off round of the 2016 UEFA Champions League. There, the Hoops overcame the competition 5-4 on aggregate in a closely-contested tie. Nevertheless, Elhamed retrospectively explained that friends at his previous club were overawed by the typically rapturous home crowd during the first leg.

“Once my friends at Be’er Sheva heard that I was signing for Celtic, they told me the atmosphere at Celtic Park on European nights is amazing,” Elhamed said in an exclusive interview with this week's Celtic View. “They played here in 2016 in a Champions League qualifier, and they said that they were shaking in the first 20 minutes.

“When I visited Celtic Park during the Nomme Kalju first-leg, it was so exciting for me. To have the chance to see the supporters and the atmosphere up close was amazing, and now I can’t wait to have that experience as a player.”

Visiting Paradise for the first time came off the back of three hectic days for Elhamed, as he secured a visa, undertook a medical and relocated his life to Glasgow. Upon arrival in Glasgow via London, the player was whisked from the airport straight to Celtic Park, where he was introduced to the Paradise faithful.

He then took in the second-half of last week’s emphatic 5-0 win from the stands, and explained that while certain beforehand, he was there and then convinced he’d made the right move.

“I had three days of sorting out my visa anf having my medical. It was pretty stressful! We flew to London, to Glasgow and then travelled by taxi straight to the game,” added Elhamed. “As a result, I missed the first half, but I was really impressed with what I saw in the second. It was an exciting day and my head was spinning.

“From what I saw in that home tie against Kalju, it’s clear Celtic have some very talented players. Hopefully I can be a part of that now and I can help bring more success from here on in. From here, I can get to know their mentality, their way of playing, their mindset, and I’m looking forward to that.

“The whole experience of first meeting the fans at Celtic Park was very exciting for me. It was amazing to walk out and see all the people in the stadium. I like it so much and it’s left me motivated to improve myself and show that I deserve to be here.

“After the Kalju first-leg, I went into the dressing room and said hello to everybody. They were very kind and welcoming. My family are so proud of me. This is a big club and it’s great to be part of it.

“As for myself, I first learned about a month-and-a-half ago that Celtic were interested in me. My agent spoke with me and told me, and I did everything I could to come here.”

For the full interview with Hatem Abd Elhamed, see this week’s Celtic View. it's on sale now.

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Hatem Abd Elhamed in his first Celtic View interview