Goal-hungry Klimala ready to take his cue from Edouard

PATRYK KLIMALA has turned to many teachers in his drive for improvement ahead of a first full season as a Celtic player. Fitness coaches and sports scientists have aided the advancement of his physical condition. Regular lessons with an English tutor have helped to brush up the Polish striker’s communication skills.

When it comes to adapting to the Parkhead side’s style of play, Klimala has looked towards one of his peers for inspiration. The 21-year-old admits that learning from Odsonne Edouard has formed an important part of his pre-season programme.

Just a year older than Klimala, Edouard’s outstanding performances throughout last season’s shortened programme confirmed his status as the attacking figurehead of Neil Lennon’s side.

Klimala is obviously a different kind of player at a different stage of his development. Used to a more counter-attacking approach at Jagiellonia Bialystok, the £3.5million January signing struggled to make an impact before Scottish football was shut down in March.

Picking up tips from Edouard can only help. And two goals in Monday’s 3-1 friendly win over Hibs proved how eager Klimala now is to make his mark.

‘I have learned a lot of things from Odsonne during this pre-season,’ he admitted. ‘I think it was really good for me and now I can try to use some of these things on the pitch.

‘Sometimes we talk about it, but really I mostly just watch how he plays.

‘Sometimes, yes, I can just watch him and learn some things, but we are different players.

‘Odsonne plays the game differently from me, but there are many things that I like that he does and I can learn from him.’

The possible addition of Albian Ajeti will further strengthen the competition Klimala faces. So, too, does the return to the fold of Leigh Griffiths after the 29-year-old heeded a stark warning from Lennon about his fitness levels.

Klimala (pictured) admits he pinched a comeback goal from Griffiths by tapping over the line for his first strike in the 3-1 Parkhead win over Hibs. A second followed when he headed home a Griffiths corner as a much-changed Celtic line-up completed their friendly programme ahead of Sunday’s Premiership curtainraiser against Hamilton.

‘The first goal that I scored [against Hibs] was really a Leigh Griffiths goal,’ confessed Klimala.

‘I only touched the ball before it crossed the line, but the second one that I scored was mine. I worked hard on the pitch to get this goal and I was happy with it.

‘I enjoyed playing alongside Leigh. I am working hard and I am feeling in good shape.

‘The last decision of who plays in the games will be down to the manager, that’s it.’

Lennon praised Klimala’s attitude and sees signs of him adapting to the demands of the Scottish game. The player declined an opportunity to return to Poland during lockdown as he sought to advance his claims.

‘I worked really hard during the break from football,’ insisted Klimala. ‘I had two sessions a day, plus then I also did an English lesson for two hours.

‘I was tired when we started back the pre-season, but now I feel in good shape.

‘My focus was not on going back (to Poland) during the quarantine. I wanted to remain here and do hard work because I didn’t have a pre-season during the winter break.

‘I didn’t feel that good, but everything has now come back to normal for me. It was important for me to have a routine.’

Klimala is aware of the historic significance of the forthcoming campaign, yet won’t allow ten-in-arow talk to dominate his mind.

‘I understand how big the season is for the club, but I don’t really think about it because it can bring pressure,’ he added.

‘We don’t need to have that because we already know how big this club is and how many great players are with us in the changing room, so that’s it.

‘It doesn’t matter what time that it is for Celtic. There is always pressure to win. That is normal.’ The new normal for matches under coronavirus restrictions means empty stands and artificial crowd noise being pumped into Parkhead.

‘Hopefully, in the coming games, we will be able to play with fans,’ said Klimala. ‘I have never experienced the situation and playing in a stadium without fans, but it is what it is. ‘Football is about being professional and we have to be focused and have a good mentality on what we have to do all of the time.

‘It doesn’t matter whether we have fans or do not have fans when it comes to this. ‘Of course, it would be better to play the games with the supporters but, if we have to play without them during the

games, we will do this.’