New Celtic boy Carl Starfelt reveals relationships with Mjallby and Larsson

Carl Starfelt during a Celtic training session at Lennoxtown.

However, for the fanbase, in hanging out with Larsson and Mjallby, the Swedish centre-back has been keeping the right company long before his £4.5million move from Russian club Rubin Kazan. No matter that the Larsson and Mjallby in question aren’t those whose contributions to the Parkhead club affords them great historical importance.

Instead of Henrik, the Larsson the 24-year-old has associated with is the peerless Celtic performer’s son Jordan. As opposed to rugged defender Johan Mjallby, it is his offspring Timothy with whom Starfelt has shared a pitch.

“I remember Henrik and I am friends with his son. He plays in Russia, so I met him over there,” said the latest Celtic arrival. “I know Henrik is a big legend here and Celtic has a very good reputation in Sweden because of these players. Johan’s son is my age and I know him because we played together for a team in Stockholm when we were younger.”

Starfelt is in line to make his debut in Celtic’s cinch Premiership opener against Hearts at Tynecastle and, even if he acknowledges he won’t be 100 per cent following his 10-day quarantine period in London that followed his arrival from Russia, he won’t be coming in entirely cold to the encounter.

“I did almost all of Rubin Kazin’s pre-season friendlies,” said the player, who said he is “quite physical” and “fast and quite strong”. “I think I missed the last two games. I didn’t play 90 minutes in the pre-season with most of them 45 minutes, so I think that will help me. I also haven’t had a vacation for a month before coming here, so that’s good. In my hotel room, I had a fitness bike in my hotel room and also some weights. I was on the bike a lot and the weights to train and that was it for the first five days.

“Then I was moved to another hotel with great facilities where I could train. They sent down Scott [Breddy, sports scientist] and I trained there for another five days and then I could play football with him and also be in the gym, so it was perfect.”

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