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Personal
Fullname: Daniel Arzani
aka: –
Born: 4 Jan 1999
Birthplace: Khorramabad, Iran
Signed: 17 Aug 2018 (loan from Man City)
Left: 7 Aug 2020 (loan ended, moved onto Utrecht)
Position: Attacking Midfielder, Winger
Debut: Dundee 0-6 Celtic, League, 31 Oct 2018
Squad No.: 14
Internationals: Australia
International Caps: ? [complete at end of career]
International Goals: ? [complete at end of career]
Biog
Daniel Arzani arrived at Celtic on loan from the monied Manchester City after impressing at the recent World Cup (2018), being the youngest player in the tournament. He had pace and style, and a great touch on the ball, skills you just can’t teach.
At Celtic, there was an anxiousness for him to start his first game for Celtic, especially as the start to the 2018/19 season was generally below par with a lot of frustration from the support. Many were complaining that with the form out or sorts and the fare often poor to watch, why wasn’t the Arzani playing when he was clearly a replacement for the departed favourite Paddy Roberts?
Celtic did begin to pick up steam, and into late October 2018 they were finally on the up. In a league match v Dundee, Celtic were 5-0 up and Arazani was finally given his late debut as a substitute, coming on and making a good name for himself with some licking their lips. He even replaced the much lauded Edouard on the field. But then when unchallenged, Arzani just collapsed on the field in what was to be confirmed to be an ACL injury. After all the hope & hype, he was to be out injured for the remainder of the season.
He was to be out for ever longer than expected, and only finally managed to win a very late substitute appearance in a 2-1 win over Partick Thistle in the Scottish Cup in early 2020. Celtic were heading for the Treble for the fourth season in a row, but then this run and all opportunities for the prodigious Arzani were to grind to a halt by the COVID-19 pandemic which suspended all football everywhere. In truth he was already well out of the first team picture by the time any of the events around the pandemic were underway. It was difficult to break into a Celtic side that had found its feet and was on a good run of form domestically.
Unnecessary comments by sympathisers to Arzani from outwith of Celtic in the media criticising Celtic were not helping anyone. This was an unwelcome situation, and Arzani deserved better and more constructive advice. The injury had lost him a lot of development time, and there was a lot of sympathy throughout Celtic for him, as many had believed he could prove to be a great talent in the side, as for example the aforementioned Paddy Roberts.
He himself spoke well of Celtic, the managers and his time here. The problem was the injuries and lack of game-time, something beyond his control.
In August 2020, he opted to move to Utrecht (Netherlands). It was deemed to be best for him to reboot his career elsewhere after the difficulties at Celtic, more so as the attacking positions in the squad were already well covered, which would have given him limited opportunities for a first-team place.
We wished him the best, but he’d lost a lot of development time due to injuries. This was not unique to him, as some other recent elevated loanees (e.g. Musonda and Weah) were also struggling in similar situations. However, they were all still young and had time on their hands to turn it around.
Post-Celtic
His next move to Utrecht really didn’t work out any better than at Celtic, not helped by the covid-impacted global environment, and he ended up spending more time with the Utrecht reserve side than the little time he did get with their First Team.
He ended up being thrown about on loan, making few appearances across the clubs before admitting defeat and returning home to Australia to sign for Sydney based Macarthur FC which was hoped would re-kickstart his faltering career. As a measure of the challenge in front of him to get back again to where he once was, he wasn’t even picked for the Australian squad for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar which successfully got through the group stages.
Quotes
“He certainly is happy to take the ball, he has confidence, he’s a Celtic player in terms of, he wants to beat people and wants to be aggressive.”
Brendan Rodgers (Nov 2018)
Playing Career
| APPEARANCES | LEAGUE | SCOTTISH CUP | LEAGUE CUP | EUROPE | TOTAL |
| 2018-19 | 0(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0(1) |
| Goals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019-20 | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 0 | 0(1) |
| Goals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | (1) |
(1) |
0 |
0 |
(2) |
| Goals | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Honours with Celtic
Scottish League
Pictures
KDS
- Threads (2018)
- Threads (2019)
Daniel Arzani confirms Celtic exit and discusses Man City future
Manchester City loanee Daniel Arzani only made two appearances on loan at Celtic after joining the club from Melbourne City in 2018.
https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/arzani-celtic-man-city-transfer-18220632
ByJoe Bray
14:00, 8 MAY 2020
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Daniel Arzani has confirmed he will leave Celtic when his loan deal expires next month, as the Manchester City loanee opened up on his disastrous two-year spell in Scotland.
Arzani joined City after appearing for Australia at the 2018 World Cup, before immediately joining Celtic on a two year loan deal. However, the midfielder only played 28 minutes of football for the Scottish Champions across two appearances after he suffered a cruciate ligament injury on his debut.
Now, the 21-year-old says he will leave Celtic Park this season, with another loan move expected to come for him to prove himself.
Discussing the possibilities of his next move, Arzani told The World Game: “Holland comes up because it’s a selling league and they develop a lot of really good talent there. But they’re not the only league to have done that.
“It’s been a really tough last two seasons for me. Celtic’s been tough, there are a lot of good people there and it’s a good club, but the most important thing for me is game time and I wasn’t getting that.
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“I was getting frustrated with injuries and things like that and the most important thing now is to look forward and go somewhere I think I’ll get game time.
“It’s tough for Lenny [Neil Lennon] – he came back for his second gig as Celtic manager with a lot of weight on his shoulders in going for 10 in a row. I’ve been coming back from injury and he’s never seen me play before, so there’s no way I can blame him.
“He’s a really good guy and a really good coach. It was just unfortunate circumstances.”
Arzani is keen to look forward, confirming he is back to full fitness after his injury problems and saying his next club will have to be the right one for him to kick on in his career.
“I think I’m in some of the best shape of my career so far,” he continued. “Andrew Clark has been impressed with the work we’ve been doing and said he’d never seen me in such good shape, so I’m buzzing.
“There’s no point in looking into the past and the negative things that have happened. It’s about looking forward, taking things in your stride and trying to make the best out of an unfortunate situation with injuries.
“This happens to everyone – I’m not the first player and I won’t be the last.
“I don’t know if I’ll be going back to Celtic to finish the season – we’ll just have to wait and see what the different leagues announce and go from there.
“It’s a crazy time right now. I may have to get on a plane and go back to Glasgow next week. Or I might be going back in a month’s time and my contract will have run out by then.
“The (ultimate) aim is to stay in Europe and give it a proper shot. I don’t think I gave myself a fair chance this time around because I wasn’t fit the whole time.”
‘Fighting fit’ Arzani opens up on Celtic ‘frustration’ as next career step looms
Arzani back in Oz showing off his skills
5 Apr 2020, 11:41 am
https://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/fighting-fit-arzani-opens-up-on-celtic-frustration-as-next-career-step-looms
Daniel Arzani has revealed he’s in the dark over his immediate future, but insists wherever he’s playing next season he’ll be “in the best shape of his life”.
By Dave Lewis
Eager to put nearly two years of “frustration” at Celtic behind him, the intuitive Socceroos attacker appears resigned to moving on in search of game time elsewhere.
The 21-year-old – who tore his ACL on debut for the Hoops 18 months ago – has been back home in Sydney during the coronavirus shutdown, honing his fitness and pondering his next career step as his two season loan from Manchester City to Celtic nears its end.
Of the potential destinations in a post-Celtic life, Arzani views the Netherlands as an attractive possibility.
“Holland comes up because it’s a selling league and they develop a lot of really good talent there,” he told The World Game.
“But they’re not the only league to have done that.”
He’s made just two senior appearances for the Bhoys saying: “It’s been a really tough last two seasons for me.
“Celtic’s been tough, there are a lot of good people there and it’s a good club, but the most important thing for me is game time and I wasn’t getting that.
“I was getting frustrated with injuries and things like that and the most important thing now is to look forward and go somewhere I think I’ll get game time.”
He has no qualms over the treatment his received from Bhoys boss Neil Lennon, with Celtic chasing a 10th successive league crown and blessed with abundant talent.
“It’s tough for Lenny – he came back for his second gig as Celtic manager with a lot of weight on his shoulders in going for 10 in a row,” Arzani said.
“I’ve been coming back from injury and he’s never seen me play before, so there’s no way I can blame him.
“He’s a really good guy and a really good coach. It was just unfortunate circumstances.”
Arzani
Arzani’s advisors planning for life after Celtic in critical career move
Whatever the future holds, Arzani claims a rigorous fitness regime in Sydney with a personal physio – and overseen by Socceroos strength and conditioning chief Andrew Clark – has him in prime condition.
“I think I’m in some of the best shape of my career so far,” he added. “Andrew Clark has been impressed with the work we’ve been doing and said he’d never seen me in such good shape, so I’m buzzing.
“There’s no point in looking into the past and the negative things that have happened.
“It’s about looking forward, taking things in your stride and trying to make the best out of an unfortunate situation with injuries.
“This happens to everyone – I’m not the first player and I won’t be the last.”’
Addressing the specifics of where he might find himself next season, Arzani is understandably vague.
“I’m not 100 per cent sure and it’s so hard to talk about now with this whole coronavirus situation,” he explained.
“Clubs don’t know if this season will even be finished, or they’ll have to cut their losses, give their players a break and start afresh with a new season.
“I don’t know if I’ll be going back to Celtic to finish the season – we’ll just have to wait and see what the different leagues announce and go from there.
“It’s a crazy time right now. I may have to get on a plane and go back to Glasgow next week. Or I might be going back in a month’s time and my contract will have run out by then.
“The (ultimate) aim is to stay in Europe and give it a proper shot.
“I don’t think I gave myself a fair chance this time around because I wasn’t fit the whole time.”
Parent club Manchester City, who brought Arzani to England from City Football Group satellite Melbourne City and immediately loaned him to Celtic, will have a pivotal say on his next move.
Australia’s youngest ever FIFA World Cup player has conferred with Socceroos coach Graham Arnold during his time in Sydney, having been given a leave pass by Celtic in mid March along with compatriot Tom Rogic.
“The chats we’ve had have been him talking about going somewhere where I’ll get game time and be looked after,” he added.
“It’s a tough thing because every club will promise you game time but you have to go with your gut, do a bit of research, and see whether that’s actually a viable thing.”
Arzani said his experience in Glasgow, whilst testing his fortitude, has made him more mentally robust.
“I feel like I’ve emotionally matured so much through this process and in some ways it could be good for me later down the track,” he added.
“I just want to bounce back now and get back to playing. To do my ACL in my first game was a tough one – and I’ve literally been out since then, until maybe a couple of months ago.
“It is what it is, but hopefully it will never happen again, touch wood.”
Arzani said the support and friendship of Socceroos teammate Rogic at Celtic had given him a huge boost.
“Tommy’s been an absolute legend and we still talk about once a week, just checking with what’s going on at the club,” he said.
“He’s such a good guy and has helped me so much. Even at the beginning he helped a lot but also towards the end when I was getting really frustrated with getting injured again he gave me that emotional support.
“Football is a roller-coaster and he was there for me during those tough time