Former Celtic teammates to face off in Belgium’s Jupiler Pro League | OneFootball

Former Celtic teammates Stephen Welsh and Ewan Henderson are preparing to face off in an intense Belgian top-flight derby this afternoon…

Beerschot’s Ewan Henderson and Gent’s Tsuyoshi Watanabe in action during a match between KAA Gent and K. Beerschot V.A., Sunday 16 February 2025 in Gent, in the Jupiler Pro League first division of the Belgian championship. Photo Tom Goyvaerts

The duo rose through the ranks of Celtic’s academy before earning their place in the first team under the stewardship of Hoops boss Brendan Rodgers.

‘We are professionals, and it is an important match for both teams’

Currently, Stephen Welsh is spending the remainder of the season on loan at KV Mechelen from Celtic, while Ewan Henderson made a permanent switch to Beerschot from Hibernian last summer. And, today, their respective teams will go head-to-head in a heated local derby.

Ahead of the game, Welsh acknowledged that the pair would set aside their personal bond once the game begins. He said, as reported by Scottish Sun: “Our friendship is separate from that match. We are professionals, and it is an important match for both teams.

Mechelen’s Stephen Welsh during a match between KV Mechelen and KAA Gent, Friday 07 February 2025 in Mechelen in the Jupiler Pro League first division of the Belgian championship. Photo BRUNO FAHY

“The quality of our team is so high that it is actually strange that we are so low in the table. A bit of rivalry adds a bit of spice to a game, but this will be nothing like Celtic vs (the)Rangers. You go into the stadium, and you can’t hear anything because of the overwhelming noise. You can’t even hear yourself talk. In my case, it helps me focus even more.”

Although Welsh’s game time has been limited since moving to Belgium in January, Henderson has been a key player for Beerschot, registering 24 appearances and collecting two assists so far this season.

‘There is a bit of a rivalry between us, just because we are good friends’

The 24 year-old former Hibernian midfielder agreed with Welsh’s sentiments that once the game begins, their relationship will be forgotten about. Henderson said: “Of course, there is a bit of a rivalry between us, just because we are good friends. But I think we will step onto the pitch on Sunday and not be friends for 90 minutes.”

Beerschot’s Ewan Henderson looks dejected during agame between KAA Gent and K. Beerschot V.A., Sunday 16 February 2025 in Gent, on day 26 of the 2024-2025 season of the Jupiler Pro League first division of the Belgian championship. Photo Tom Goyvaerts

“I didn’t know about the rivalry between the two clubs to be honest, I mainly know the derby between Royal Antwerp and Beerschot.”

“I’ve never played in such a fierce game [as Celtic vs theRangers]. Breaking through to the club of our hearts with Stephen was actually quite crazy when you think about it. It’s something you dream of as a kid.”

The rivalry between KV Mechelen and Beerschot intensified over a two-year period from 2017 to 2019 following a match-fixing controversy.

Conor Spence

Sign up and receive a free copy of Henrik Larsson new book…

Sign up for Weekly Lottery on Celtic Pools and receive a FREE copy of Henrik Larsson’s book!

More Stories / Latest News

Former Celtic teammates to face off in Belgium’s Jupiler Pro League

Mar 2 2025, 10:40

“It’s not a good claim – it’s a penalty,” St Mirren boss rages at VAR

Mar 2 2025, 10:09

“This is one of my most favourite results of the season,” Brendan Rodgers

Mar 2 2025, 9:39