Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain married Little Mix star Perrie Edwards in June and, a few weeks later, committed his future to Celtic on a permanent basis. The 32-year-old midfielder admitted neither big move was ever in doubt.
His wife had already dropped a major hint over the summer when she wore a Celtic shirt at the TRNSMT festival while the former Arsenal and Liverpool player was still without a new Parkhead contract. Oxlade-Chamberlain said: “My wife endorses the move, for sure. Even if I hadn’t signed she would have worn the shirt at TRNSMT.”
He added: “I did warn her it was a risky move! She didn’t want to listen. There was no sitting on the fence, we’ve picked our side. I kind of knew I’d end up signing so told her to crack on and enjoy herself. She was always going to wear it.”
Wedding stress and pre-season boost
Oxlade-Chamberlain also opened up on the build-up to the couple’s wedding. He said: “The lead up to the wedding was probably more stressful than anything I’ve done in the last 10 years! It all went smoothly, which was great. You have the stresses of football, but then that takes over.”
On the pitch, the midfielder feels refreshed after completing a full pre-season with Celtic. He arrived on loan last January after six months without a club following his departure from Besiktas, and he says it is the first proper pre-season he has had in three years.
“It’s definitely helped being in. I worked it out, I hadn’t really done a pre-season for the last three years for different circumstances. Last year there was obviously terminating the contract at Besiktas when I did and not going into Arsenal until the October or November. The year before was in and out with Besiktas with the transfer window and how things are out there. So I’ve not had a proper one for a while and it was something I definitely needed.”
“Coming into a season halfway through is swings and roundabouts. You get to the end and you still feel mentally fresh. But ultimately for fitness it’s better to be in with the team for pre-season, working on fitness and the tactical stuff. I’m glad I’ve done it. I feel good to go. Everyone is ready. We’ve done the work that needs to be done in pre-season. It definitely goes up a level when the competitive games start and the first few games help build into the season. But you have to be ready for the jump up in intensity. We will be.”
New-look frontline ready for Dundee
Celtic begin their Premiership title defence at home to Dundee on Monday with a new-look frontline after Kasper Hogh and Camilo Duran checked in to form a £17m attack. Oxlade-Chamberlain is confident the pair will make an impact, having played alongside proven goalscorers such as Olivier Giroud at Arsenal and Mo Salah at Liverpool.
“The both seem like lively characters. You have to be coming into this changing room, because there are a good bunch of lads who have been here a while. There’s a good amount of banter. They’ve picked on the big man early doors and he’s holding his own. He’s going to be a big hit with the lads. You always want your no.9 to be confident. He doesn’t seem like the sort of fella who would let a couple of missed chances affect him. He’ll keep getting himself into the right areas. Camilo has shown in his rest few games he can score and the boy can press as well. That was one of Daizen Maeda’s big strengths and you could say it’s something we’ll definitely miss up front. But Camilo looks like he’s really good at it as well and he has quality when he gets the ball to feet. The big man is an old school no.9. He’s good in the box and that’s something you could say we haven’t had that profile recently. We’ve already see it, Kieran Tierney crossing to the back post and the big man nodding it in to the net. There’s no pressure on them. It’s a new league and it might take them both a bit of time to get used to the different style of play. But from what I’ve seen, they are going to be great lads and will definitely help us.”
Arne Engels backed for big future
Celtic are set to lose midfielder Arne Engels to West Ham, but Oxlade-Chamberlain believes the Belgian has the tools to go a long way. He said: “Arne is a great player. He’s got the energy and physicality to play in any league in the world and he had quality on the ball. He’s also young, so he can learn and improve a lot too. I’ve really enjoyed having him around, he’s a really good lad with a mature head on his shoulders. He can hold his own and that’s a big thing, having that self confidence but also having respect of others around him. He’s a winner too. These are the little traits you see in players with a high potential. Arne has a big future in front of him, that’s for sure.”
Flag Day a new experience
Oxlade-Chamberlain is now focused on Monday’s Flag Day and getting the season off to a winning start. He said: “Flag Day will be a new experience for me but I’ve been told all about the tradition. I’m looking forward to it. It should be a great occasion after what happened last year and the way it finished. It’s a great way to start the season but we need to go out and perform and get three points to start the season right.”
