Strachan reveals Du Wei concerns

Celtic manager Gordon Strachan has warned new signing Du Wei he must toughen up if he wants to survive life in the Bank of Scotland Premier League.

The China international penned a four-year deal hours before the transfer deadline after impressing on a three-day trial at Parkhead.

But club chiefs have inserted a clause in the contract which allows them to pull out of the deal in January if the move to Scotland proves too much of a culture shock for the 23-year-old central defender.

Strachan admits he is worried the physical nature of the Scottish game may prove a problem but he reckons Du Wei’s new team-mates will help him prepare for battle.

He said: “That would be my only concern at the moment, how he’ll cope with the frantic nature of the league here and the physical knocks that he’ll have to take.

“Not that he’s a coward. Far from it. It’s just that he won’t have experienced anything remotely like the football here playing in China.

“But, if he can get used to the style of football here, I think we’ll have a player on our hands.

“He’ll learn every day in training here because we’ve one or two players at this club who won’t be shy in knocking him about.

“It’s good news for everyone that he’s here now and now it’s up to the lad to compete for a place.”

However, Du Wei has assured Strachan he will have no problem settling in once he has mastered the language.

He began English lessons when he returned from his first visit to Glasgow and is confident he will soon adapt to his new life.

Du Wei told the Celtic View: “I think I will adapt pretty quickly and it won‘t be a great problem for me to play in the first team soon.

“At first, I think there will probably be some difficulties because there is still a language barrier which means I cannot communicate fully with all my new team-mates.

“But that is only in normal life. On the field it shouldn’t be a problem because I think I know enough to succeed in a football sense.

“It is just off the field that I need to learn more English.

“The last time I was here, everyone was very kind to me and, once I take some more lessons, I’m sure that I will become very comfortable in this city and within this team.”