Celtic sign Stoke right-back Moritz Bauer on loan
- Published
Moritz Bauer has appeared in the English Premier League for Stoke City
Austrian right-back Moritz Bauer says Celtic are getting "a hard worker" after he joined from Stoke City on a season-long loan.
The deal for the former Grasshoppers Zurich and Rubin Kazan defender contains an option for the Scottish champions to buy him next summer.
Bauer, 27, has made 26 appearances for Stoke in the last two seasons, but has fallen out of favour.
"I'm maybe not the most talented, but I make it up with hard work," he said.
"Here you have trophies to win, you can finish first, you can battle to be the top team and win every competition you go into.
"I love having the target of being first as I like that pressure. There are players here who have already won titles, and it's a big opportunity for me to learn from them and grow as a player."
Austria international Bauer has never been to Scotland but has already been congratulated by former Stoke team-mates Charlie Adam and Darren Fletcher, who he used to travel to training with.
As well as those two Scotland caps, his Swiss mother has also welcomed his move.
"When I started playing football she wanted me to play once at Anfield and once at Celtic Park," he said. "She was there when I played at Anfield with Stoke and now she can be part of the Celtic crowd.
"She just really enjoys the atmosphere, to be in the crowd and have this electric feeling and the rumour across Europe is there is no better crowd than a Celtic crowd."
Bauer becomes Celtic's sixth senior signing of the summer and will compete with fellow new recruit Hatem Abd Elhamed for the right-back spot.
The Austrian is "in contention" to make his debut in Sunday's Old Firm derby at Ibrox, according to manager Neil Lennon, with Elhamed having missed the last two games through injury.
Lennon said: "Moritz is a player with very good pedigree, Austrian international. In the Premier League he played very well, had a great time at Rubin Kazan and we've got a good player on our hands.
"He's very fit, good attitude and strengthening up one of the positions we've been looking at. He'll train on Thursday and Friday and then we'll gauge him again on Saturday and see how he is."
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