IF MARC-ANTOINE Fortuné is as diligent on the field as he is off it, then Celtic and their supporters can expect value for money from their new £3.8million striker.
Fortuné was finally unveiled as a Celtic player yesterday and while he isn't reeling off the names of the Lisbon Lions quite yet, the striker has availed himself of the opportunity to learn more about the club he has joined.
He has certainly not b
een idle during the protracted process which led to him signing a three-year deal on Wednesday. Fortuné has revealed that he logged on to YouTube to watch clips of past Celtic matches and like many before him found himself moved by the atmosphere at Champions League nights at Parkhead.
While Tony Mowbray, who Fortuné worked with for a spell at West Bromwich Albion, clearly had a great influence on the player's decision to select Celtic over at least two English Premier League clubs, the supporters also played their part in the charm offensive.
"I heard 'You'll Never Walk Alone' before the Barcelona game, and also against Manchester United," he said. "When I go to play at another club I try and learn about it. It's not just because of Tony that I am here. That is a part of why I am here. Celtic is a club who you cannot say no to. You don't have many chances to play at a big club like this."
Few footballers can have enamoured themselves to a support quite so quickly as Fortuné. He has been helped to that end by Mowbray, who stressed last week that if Fortuné came to Celtic, it would be an act of supreme self-sacrifice. Hull City and Portsmouth are among the clubs who wanted to sign Fortuné, and who could offer far better terms than Celtic. Mowbray again praised his first signing as Celtic manager for the enthusiasm displayed during extended talks. He called him a "great human being, with a great work ethic." He hailed his ability to play as a lone striker, and also with a partner.
Fortuné won over Mowbray with his attitude in a recent loan spell at West Brom, but without playing a match for Celtic – he flew out with the rest of the squad yesterday for Sunday's match in Australia against Brisbane Roar – he has already left a very favourable impression on the Parkhead fans.
"From my conversations with Marc I know that he did have options," said Mowbray. "He had very good options in the English Premier League. Some footballers love football. As well as being a good footballer, Marc has a love for the game.
"No-one is trying to pull the wool over anyone's eyes," he continued. "Looking after your family is very, very important. Sometimes you have decisions to make. I think Marc has made a football decision. Were the offers tempting from the Premier League? I am sure they were, because, as he found in the last six months, the English Premier League is a wonderful place to play football. The stadiums are full every week. But there is history and tradition here. It can take your breath away when you walk into the stadium. Marc wanted the chance to taste it."
It is foolish to go too far down the line of hailing the striker as a poster boy for the anti-consumerism movement . It is not as if he is earning a pittance at Celtic, where he has inherited Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink's No10 shirt. But he is a refreshing antidote to the money-grabbing opportunists who undoubtedly inhabit the world of football.
In the week of the 20th anniversary of Maurice Johnston's about-turn to sign for Rangers, having already been paraded in a Celtic shirt at Parkhead, Fortuné's determination to let nothing stand in the way of him becoming a Celtic player is notable. Like Johnston, he has been lured from a French club. Like Johnston, he donned a Celtic top for the photographers. But the nearest he has come to fraternising with the enemy is when he contacted compatriot Jean-Claude Darcheville for his input.
The former Rangers player also hails from French Guiana. His advice? Just don't score against Rangers. But, not surprisingly for someone whose brief Ibrox career saw him appear in a Uefa Cup final, Darcheville was also very positive about the Glasgow experience.
"He said it can't be a wrong choice to come to Celtic," said Fortuné. "It can only be a good choice.
"There were other clubs," he said. "I didn't really pay attention. My first choice was Celtic. I said to my agent; 'we talk to Celtic first'."
Mowbray is confident the striker will do what he has been signed to do – score goals.
"I judge footballers on their talents," Mowbray said. "I don't set the prices. I just say: 'Look I like this player'. If it happens, great. If it doesn't, we move on. There will be players who will come in for very little and yet will become superstars. The supporters will see his talent when he holds the ball up, when he scores a goal, when he sets it up for a team-mate.
"There is no disguising talent. It's why I like to work with talented players."
FORTUNÉ FACTFILE1981: Born 2 July in Cayenne, French Guiana.
1998: Joins French lower league club Angouleme.
2002: Handed big break with Ligue 1 side Lille but fails to shine.
2005: Moves to Holland to join FC Utrecht.
2006: Returns to France with Nancy and helps them to finish fourth two year later.
2008: 2 October – Scores for Nancy in 2-0 Uefa Cup first round second leg win at Motherwell.
2009: 15 January – Joins West Brom on loan until the end of the season.
8 July – Celtic sign Fortune on a three-year contract for an undisclosed fee.
The full article contains 992 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
