Israeli-Arab star Hatem Abd Elhamed says it’s an ‘honour’ to sign for Celtic

New Celtic defender Hatem Abd Elhamed believes he has found the perfect fit after agreeing his Parkhead switch.

Hoops boss Neil Lennon has moved to solve his right-back worries after signing the Israel international on a four-year deal.

The Hoops manager has been on the lookout for new options since the departures of full-backs Mikael Lustig and Jeremy Toljan this summer.

Lennon hopes the arrival of Abd Elhamed will provide the solution to his problem, and the 28-year-old believes the move will suit him just as well.

He told the club’s official website: “It is an absolute honour to sign for this great club, one of the world’s truly great football clubs, and I could not be happier.

“When you play football you want to climb to the top and be the best you can be, and I know that I have found the best place for me – a club that has a tradition of playing quick, attacking, exciting and successful football and I am delighted that I am going to be part of this.

“Celtic is my club now and I want to do all I can to continue to bring success to our supporters.

“I know the Celtic fans are the best around and I can’t wait to meet them, to pull on the famous Celtic jersey and play in front of them. I will give everything to the club.”

Lennon said: “We are really pleased to bring Hatem to Celtic, another player we think can make an important contribution to the club.

“He is a player with real attributes, he is strong and quick and I have been impressed with what I have seen of him. We look forward to welcoming him to Celtic and joining up with the squad.”