Celtic star has Boyata has Euro vision as Fenerbahce loom

“Nani is the same (as Van Persie)”. It has not been all plain sailing for the striker at his new Turkish employers, though, and he was surprisingly relegated to the bench last Sunday, eventually emerging to score a goal in their 3-2 derby defeat at Besiktas.

On loan at Bolton Wanderers at the time, Boyata entered the fray at the Emirates Stadium with his team already trailing 1-0 to a Van Persie goal and having just had first-choice central defender David Wheater sent off.

DEDRYK BOYATA last night insisted troubled Fenerbahce will prove to be the toughest opposition Celtic have faced this season.

He added: “For me coming here, it was about getting a lot of games”.

“It just epitomises everything that is special about our club and every single person who played their part in achieving this magnificent total should feel very proud today”.

‘You only need to type his name into YouTube to see the unbelievable goals he has scored across his career. I’ve seen all his awesome goals for Arsenal, Manchester United and even before that.

Boyata said: “He (Cole) is really good player”. Fenerbahce are a team full of quality players but he is the main guy we need to watch.

“You don’t tend to get the number of chances you get in the league when it comes to the European matches so it’s important that at one end we’re very tight, compact and defending well and when we do get chances we make sure we take them”.

The former Dundee United man was one of Celtic’s best players at the start of the season before a succession of problems saw him sidelined.

The pair moved to Turkey in the recent transfer window from Manchester United, a club Boyata knows all about after his time with local rival Manchester City.

Belgium now face two crucial clashes with Andorra and Israel which will decide their Group B fate and the Parkhead centre-back believes he can force his way into Wilmots plans if he produces against the Hoops’ Europa League opponents when they visit Glasgow later this week. He is a really good winger and a technically excellent player. They are all quality players, they have excellent defenders and in the midfield too.

“You never know what can happen in European games”, he said.

Meanwhile, the Celtic Foundation revealed that nearly £60,000 has been raised to assist those affected by the current refugee crisis in Europe.

“Of course we wanted to be playing in The Champions League, but we are not and we accept that”.

‘Virgil was here for two years and he kind of carried the team on his shoulders along with Scott Brown and Craig Gordon. Now that I’m in the Belgian team my goal will be to stay there. I enjoy the responsibility. Then we can look to the last game against Israel to get the first spot. All I can say is good luck. “That’s why there is a job for us to do in this game and we will be really satisfied if we can do it”.