STOPPER A GOOD FIT
EXCLUSIVE Ex-Celts ace Kayal insists his pal will bring to Parkhead what he brought to Seagulls – leadership and team spirit
BY CRAIG SWAN
BERAM KAYAL shared some of his biggest career highlights with Shane Duffy.
And the former Celtic midfielder reckons his old boss Neil Lennon will now gather more cherished memories with the Irish defender in his ranks.
Kayal and Duffy were close mates at Brighton. The pair were pivotal as Albion made it to the Premier League three years ago and cemented their status in the top-flight under ex-manager Chris Hughton.
Kayal doesn’t need to tell anyone about his ex-team-mate’s powerful presence on the park.
But behind the scenes is where the Irish defender also shone with his leadership qualities and the Israeli says his popularity among a group is just as important.
Kayal says Celtic supporters will love Duffy’s contribution on the park and that Lennon and the Parkhead squad will savour his attitude and warmth away from the match days as he looks to help the club win a 10th successive title.
He said: “Shane is an amazing character to have around the squad. Everyone loves him.
“Whatever you need from him or whenever you need him, he is always there for his team-mates.
“I have a lot of good memories between me and him at Brighton when we did a lot of good things, such as the promotion season.
“He was close with all of the players. I can’t say that he’s a quiet boy, he has a lot to say and he is a leader.
“He’s a good player and he’s also a good character inside and outside of the pitch. Shane is very helpful
“On the pitch he has a lot of experience in the Premier League and also as an international, so Celtic are getting a superb central defender.
“You can learn everything about Shane when you watch his games. He’s a winner and he wants to win every game.
“He’s aggressive and he’s probably one of the biggest guys I’ve played alongside.
“In the opposition box he can also score goals and he is so dangerous to the other teams at the set-pieces
“He did it many times for us at Brighton and if you can do that in the English Premier League you can do it in the Scottish Premiership.
“It will be brilliant for Lenny to have Shane and he will suit the way the manager wants to play too.
“Lenny will want him to have freedom in his play but also a lot of hunger and determination to do well for the team.”
Naturally, Duffy’s affiliation to Celtic is going to be a big help to him settling into life in Glasgow.
Kayal was made aware quickly that the 28-year-old was a Hoops fan and that could be a vital part in adapting to the high-octane pressures that accompany life at the Old Firm.
Duffy will know exactly what to expect. And although the centre-back saw his game-time lessen when Graham Potter took over at the Seagulls last year, the Israeli is adamant the stopper’s qualities are not dimmed.
He said: “Obviously Shane is a big Celtic fan. It is a big thing for him and I feel it is a big thing for Celtic.
“It will be a dream for him to play with Celtic because this is the team he supports but from the other side, you know how big it is to be there.
“Shane has been a superb player for Brighton over the past few seasons.
“It probably wasn’t the same for him last season as he didn’t find the regular games he wanted. But in the other times before that I would say he was twice Player of the Year for us.
“He was terrific for our team and I have no reason to think the situation will be any different when he plays for Celtic.”
As Kayal watches Duffy make his way to Parkhead, the midfielder admits he’s got a touch of envy.
It was 10 years ago when Lennon handed the Israeli his opportunity to leave his homeland from Maccabi Haifa and gave him a platform at Parkhead.
Kayal had a successful period in the Hoops, winning four titles and landing two Scottish
Cup medals before he switched to Brighton five years ago.
The 32-year-old is a free agent following a loan spell at Charlton and admits that although the situation is highly unlikely, he would relish the chance to link up with his old boss again and hunt down the 10.
Kayal said: “Tell Lenny I want to come back! At the moment, I have some interest but I need to wait as clubs are waiting.
“But everyone knows I would love to go back to Celtic. It started my career in Europe and it would be amazing to do 10 in a row with Lenny. “I’ll have the phone on waiting for him to call if he needs me!”