Celtic midfielder Soro ready for tough challenge

New Celtic midfielder Ismaila Soro has warned Ladbrokes Premiership rivals “the tougher it gets, the better I get”.

The Ivorian believes he is ideally suited to Scottish football after arriving from Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv.

Soro cited Scott Brown as the Celtic player he most admires and he is keen to bring aggression to the team.

“When I play, my one main aim is to get the ball back, and to be aggressive in order to get the ball back,” the 21-year-old said, through an interpreter.

“You could say N’Golo Kante is an example to me. I watch nearly all his games. He is a top player in my position and this is something I really want to achieve, if I can, his ability to bring something else to the team and be aggressive.

“I see Scottish football as hard and tough, and I like that. The tougher it gets, the better I get, the more I put in. It is perfect for me.”

Scotland is Soro’s fourth destination since leaving his homeland in 2016 – playing in Moldova and Belarus before his move to Israel.

“Ever since I was a boy, this was part of the journey ahead of me,” he said.

“I seek a way to progress and improve and each time you move to a different club or country, you give your best, and hopefully that sets you on for the next stage.

“Coming here is a big step up and it’s part of this journey. I am really looking forward to the challenge – it’s a big challenge.”

Soro rejected interest from Genk and Dijon to join Celtic.

“Initially there were two clubs in the running but from the moment Celtic came in, there was only one club that I was going to join,” he said.

“The club is even bigger than I was expecting.”