Jamie Maclaren backs Daniel Arzani to 'grow up' at Celtic

After putting pen to paper with Manchester City last week, Daniel Arzani is expected to soon seal a loan to Celtic with Socceroos teammate Jamie Maclaren declaring it's exactly the move the teenager needs.

Arzani rose to prominence with Melbourne City at the beginning of the year with his performances earning him a spot in Australia's World Cup squad alongside Maclaren, who was a late addition.

The 19-year-old came off the bench in all of the Socceroos group games and starred with a number of clubs including Juventus and Tottenham reportedly keen on signing him.

Manchester City ultimately won the race for Arzani however, with Celtic looming as his more permanent destination on loan. 

It's a move that will see him line-up alongside Socceroos midfielder Tom Rogic, but also take on a number of fellow Aussies in the Scottish Premiership including Maclaren.

The 25-year-old himself recently sealed a season-long loan with Hibernian and backed Arzani to improve as a player in Scotland.  

“Daniel is a quality player. He is young and has only played a small amount of football, but I think he will grow up quickly," Maclaren said. 

"Being away from home and being at a club like Celtic, he will need to raise his standards.

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“The standards were high at Melbourne, with them being part of the City Group, but he will be around guys like Scott Brown at Celtic who will push him on and let him know the expectations there.

“He needs that. I think he is the sort of player who needs big characters and he will do well with those guys around him."

Scotland has become a hotbed of Australian talent this season with Ben Garuccio and Oliver Bozanic also lining up for Hearts, who upset Celtic over the weekend.

While Maclaren is hoping Arzani doesn't inspire Celtic to victories against Hibs, the striker is hoping to see his Socceroos teammate succeed.

“No, I wish him all the best," he said. 

"He is a young kid who just needs to be patient and learn his trade.

"It’s not going to be easy for him, but I do think he has the ability."