Rabiu Ibrahim fulfils dream with Parkhead move

Published on Tuesday 24 January 2012 00:58

RABIU Ibrahim claims he has fulfilled a personal ambition by joining Celtic after his move was officially completed.

The Parkhead club confirmed the transfer has been rubber-stamped after the 20-year-old Nigerian was granted a work permit.

The former PSV Eindhoven midfielder says he has been aware of interest from Celtic since 2010 and, now that he has sealed a switch to Glasgow on a three-and-a-half-year deal, Ibrahim is confident he can only improve as a player at his new club.

He said: “I feel very happy and excited to be joining Celtic. I have wanted to join Celtic for a long time to develop myself.

“They were interested in me in 2010 when I was with Sporting Lisbon. I don’t know why that never happened but that was then and I’m happy now that I’m here at Celtic.

“The atmosphere here is great, and the people are great. They are always nice to me and encouraging me so I already feel at home. The players have made me feel welcome and happy. It’s just like a big family here.

“I’m delighted as Celtic are a big club – they like good players, produce good players and encourage and give the young players the opportunity to prove themselves and showcase their talents. I strongly believe that I will get the opportunity to prove myself and improve my game.”

Ibrahim convinced Neil Lennon to offer him a contract after impressing in a practice match against St Johnstone.

He added: “I felt very okay because I played as if I was with the team for a long time. I felt relaxed.

“I love the way the club plays football. They play attacking football and try to win every game. They are still fighting to win trophies this season and I want to be there among the players when they do that.”