Luke McCowan has officially joined Celtic in a £1 million transfer from Dundee, marking a dream come true for the lifelong Hoops supporter. The deal was finalized in the nerve-wracking final moments of the transfer window, completing what, eventually, ended up a decent transfer window in the fans' eyes.
Speaking exclusively to Celtic TV, McCowan couldn't hide his excitement and sense of disbelief. "It's a bit surreal sitting here with the hoops on. I don't even know how to put it into words. It's just something I've been desperate to get done as soon as I knew they were interested," he said. "I'm desperate to get to work and show that I'm a player who can play for this club and hopefully help going forward."
McCowan revealed that he had little knowledge of the fast-moving developments. "On the last day, I didn’t really know much about what was happening, just an enquiry here and there. Then come the final day, final hours and final minutes I think it was, it was getting done. I couldn’t care how it was getting done, but I’m here now and it’s been a good ride," he reflected.
The midfielder, who had been impressing at Dundee under Tony Docherty, attracted interest from Hibernian. However, a personal call from Brendan Rodgers sealed the deal for Celtic. McCowan recounts, "He just got my number and dropped me a lovely message to say if I could phone him. As soon as I phoned him he was nothing but complimentary about myself and welcomed me to the club. Two minutes on the phone I was ready to run as fast and as hard as I could on the pitch for him. So yeah, I'm ready to go."
McCowan will face stiff competition in midfield, battling it out with the likes of Callum McGregor, Reo Hatate, and new signing Arne Engels. But he's ready for the challenge, adding, "I think that's probably why Celtic have been amazing for the last number of years now, fighting for places. I've just got to go in and show that I can do that and push boys who are in my position already to better themselves and me."
The midfielder is eyeing a potential debut in the Glasgow Derby this Sunday. "Thrown into the deep end," McCowan said of the possibility. "It's something I've grown up watching. You know what it means to everybody at this club and you know the emotions it can bring. I'm sure if I'm part of that I can hopefully add to it and enjoy it."
