31 # Ben Siegrist / Torwart

[Gollum]

Ben Siegrist: Celtic is the right place for me

Hot on the heels of joining the Hoops yesterday (Tuesday), new Bhoy, Ben Siegrist faced the Scottish media for the first time in his new role today and looked completely at home in his Celtic shirt and at ease with the Paradise surroundings.
The Swiss keeper said: “It feels really good, it’s been an exciting couple of hours even, a really proud moment for myself and it’s just a huge honour to be part of this football club. I’ve always had the vision to better myself and look for the best opportunity, and when I heard Celtic were interested, I was obviously delighted. But you can’t be too sure until you sign on the dotted line, so I’ve had good conversations with the manager and a good conversation with Stevie Woods, the goalie coach. And I just feel that this is the right spot, this is the right team, and this is the right club for my personal development. The manager told me about the vision for the team, and the role I get to play in it, and when I hung up the phone I was like ‘Yeh, I’m sold, I want to be part of this.’, and this is exactly where I want to be, so it was a very good conversation.”
He is, of course, joining a team that put up the shutters last season with the least goals scored against in the league and a more than impressive 20 shut-outs – no fewer than 19 of those down to Joe Hart. So he knows he could have a wait for an appearance and knew even before Ange Postecoglou told him that there would be no assurances of first-team football.
Siegrist said: “He just told me the vision for the whole football team, and he told me there are no guarantees, and I know there are no guarantees - because I went to Dundee United and there weren’t any guarantees, and it turned out pretty good. So there’s the opportunity to compete at the highest level with Joe, Scott and Stevie Woods, with the manager, and I have huge respect for the players that are here because I had to compete against them, which wasn’t always easy. They’re the champions of Scotland and it’s an honour for me to join, but I’m looking forward to integrating myself, bringing my abilities into the team and that’s the challenge I wanted. I’m always the type of person who want to learn, who wants to better myself, who wants to improve, who wants to gain another percentage just a little bit to better myself, or to better my performances and that why I feel that Celtic is the right place for me.”
Instead of playing against the champions who rattled him last season by “Getting the ball in so fast”, Siegrist is now looking forward to playing with them and he is 100 per cent delighted at that.
He said: “I think we all know that where I played last year it was a different brand of football, it was a bit annoying them getting the ball in so fast, and the motto is ‘We don’t’ stop’ and to be part of it is obviously a hugely special part for me, it’s acting as fast as possible and being part of that. It’s the whole project here, it’s the whole club, it’s the size of the club, it’s the connection between the fanbase and the players, and these are the best players in the country, these are the champions and it was clear for me that I wanted to join.”
His contract is for four years and that proves that this isn’t some stopgap move or quick fix, and the keeper is looking forward to the long challenge – something Ange Postecoglou is planning for as well.
The stopper said: “I’m looking forward to meeting everybody in the coming days. So far everyone has been so welcoming and the vision is not just a season or two seasons, the vision the manager and where he wants to take the club is longer term, and to be part of that is really exciting.”


Celtic TV - First Interview and Full Media Conference with new Bhoy Ben Siegrist