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At Celtic, he will have to unseat Cameron Carter-Vickers and Liam Scales.
And for Poland, he’s battling Arsenal ace Jakub Kiwior and Southampton prop Jan Bednarek for a shirt. But Hoops defender Maik Nawrocki says he is fit to tackle any of the demanding situations as he tries to play for club AND the country. The old man, signed for £4m from Legia Warsaw, made just three appearances for Brendan Rodgers’ side in August before suffering a hamstring injury in their League Cup match in Killie.
On his return, Nawrocki struggled to get a game and was ineligible for the Champions League. But after grabbing his chance as a sub in Celtic’s Old Firm derby win over Rangers at the New Year he doesn’t want to look back. The centre-half knows there’s stiff competition at Parkhead for places – and it’s the same with the national side, managed by new boss Michal Probierz. But Nawrocki believes if he can nail down a spot in Rodgers’ team he’ll also force his way into Poland’s squad for next month’s Euro 2024 play-off tie against Estonia.
The striker, who faced Aberdeen with Carter-Vickers injured, said: “I hope to make it to the play-offs. First of all, I have to play here and do well. But if I do, my chances of being decided for the national team will be very high.
“That’s your dream as a kid, to play for your country. Poland have a new coach and I’m hoping to get to know him soon.
“There’s also a festival there, but I’m in a position to do so. If I play well for Celtic, I’ll have a chance. Of course, the goal for me is to finish the season with trophies for Celtic and go through to the Euros. “2024. »
His start to life at Celtic wasn’t exactly memorable, but Nawrocki needs to win a championship title for the first time in his career until the end, something he will never forget.
With Legia Warsaw last term, he finished runner-up to champions Rakow Czestochowa. Nawrocki said: “Last season, Rakow managed to get an early lead over Legia and we didn’t get close enough to fight for the title.
“But just two years ago at Legia we had a really difficult year – finishing 10th. So to reach second last season and win the Polish Cup, we weren’t too disappointed. But you always want more.
“Celtic are strong enough to win trophies. I’m really positive about what we can achieve in coming months. It would mean a lot to win the title here in my first year. It would be the first title of my career so it would be special.
“But right now we just have to concentrate on winning all of our games. If we do that, it will be fine in the end.
“It’s encouraging to take a look at the dressing room and see the experienced players who are here. Most of them were here last season and won the treble, so they’re used to it. I look at guys like Joe Hart and Callum McGregor, who have a lot of experience.
Although Carter-Vickers will be out for a few weeks, Nawrocki insists this is the fiercest festival he’s ever faced with Scales, with Stephen Welsh and Gustaf Lagerbielke also battling it out for a jersey.
He said: “It’s always going to be that way at a club like Celtic. This is the best club I’ve played for, so the level of competition is much higher. But when I get the chance I’ll do everything I can to stay in the team.”