Old Celtic teammates to meet in local Belgian derby
Stephen Welsh and Ewan Henderson are prepared to lock horns in a furious duel in the Belgian premier division this weekend.
The pair came through the Celtic academy together and went on to feature for the first squad.
Welsh is now on loan at KV Mechelen from the Parkhead side, while Henderson joined Beerschot from Hibernian on a permanent basis last summer.
Their respective teams face off against each other this weekend in a local rivalry.
Speaking ahead of the showdown, Welsh confessed the duo will put their relationship aside during kick-off: “Our friendship is separate from that match,” he added (Record).
“We are pros, and it is a vital match for both teams.
“The quality of our squad is so good that it is actually remarkable that we are so low on the table.
A touch of rivalry adds a bit of spice to a game, but this will be nothing like Celtic against Rangers.
You go into the stadium, and you can’t hear anything because of the deafening noise.
“You can’t even hear yourself talk. In my situation, it helps me focus even more.”
Although Welsh hasn’t played as often as he’d have wanted since going to Belgium, Henderson has been a regular for his squad this season, making 24 appearances across all competitions and picking up two assists along the way.
Similarly to his fellow Scot and old Celtic teammate, the 24-year-old thinks he and Welsh won’t be buddies on Sunday: “Of course, there is a bit of a rivalry between us, just because we are good friends,” he added.
“But I think we will get onto the pitch on Sunday and not be buddies for 90 minutes.
“I didn’t know about the animosity between the two clubs to be honest, I mostly know the derby between Royal Antwerp and Beerschot.
“I’ve never played in such a competitive game [as Celtic vs Rangers].
Breaking through to the club of our hearts with Stephen was actually very insane when you think about it. It’s something you dream of as a youngster.”
The animosity between Welsh and Henderson’s respective teams heightened between 2017 and 2019 amid a match-fixing incident.
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