Troy Deeney Accuses Arne Engels of Showing 'Weakness' After He Was Hit by a Coin From the Rangers Stands

Celtic lost their first match to Rangers in some time yesterday afternoon. Yet the classless Ibrox support could not even enjoy the victory for what it was.

Celtic defender hit by coin during Rangers clash as Ibrox yob spoils derby day victory with shameful act

Celtic defender Arne Engels was hit by a coin during the Hoops' 3-0 defeat to Rangers at Ibrox.

The Belgian was struck just above the eye by the coin, which was thrown from the stands.

Engels hit the deck following the incident and was surrounded by players from both sides in an attempt to discover exactly what had happened.

But the Belgian played on despite a clear mark on his face signaling how close the item was from the player’s eye.

The incident occurred near the corner flag during the second half of the match.

It will surely end up in the match report from the officials which should see the book thrown at Rangers and, hopefully, the yob in question banned for life.

Engels was hit just above the eye by the coin, which was thrown from the stands

The hosts had already taken the lead through goals from Fashion Sakala and Alfredo Morelos before Kemar Roofe netted a late third.

But the victory was soured by the shameful act from the Ibrox support.

It comes just days after Hoops fans were praised for their impeccable behavior during the Viaplay Cup semi-final against Aberdeen at Hampden.

Speaking after the match, Engels insisted he didn't see the coin coming and was left stunned by the incident.

He told Viaplay Sport: "I didn't see it coming, I just felt something hit me in the face.

"I didn't know what it was at first, I thought maybe someone had kicked me in the face or something.

"Then I saw the coin on the ground and I realized what had happened.

"It's never nice to be hit by anything, especially not a coin. It could have hit me in the eye and caused serious damage.

"I'm just glad that it didn't hit me there and that I was able to continue playing."

When asked if he thought the fan responsible should be banned for life, Engels added: "I think that's up to the club and the authorities to decide.

"But I certainly hope that something is done to prevent this from happening again."

Meanwhile, Troy Deeney has had his say on the incident and reckons Engels should have shown "strength" and stayed on his feet.

The Birmingham City striker, who played in a number of fiery derbies during his time at Watford, insists he would never have hit the deck had a similar incident occurred during his playing days.

Speaking on talkSPORT, Deeney said: "Do you want me as a person, or me as a player? Because they're two different thoughts.

"It was bang out of order, you shouldn't have to deal with people launching coins at you or whatever. From a player's point of view, if I was a fan, I'd be fuming that he went down.

"You can't get anyone sent off. It hits you, it's a little bit of a sharp pain, just stand up and don't give them any sign of weakness. Shock doesn't make you fall over. You go, 'Oh, what was that?' You take a step back and liven up.

"When he went down, I just thought, 'You're 3-0 down in the lion's den and you're rolling around. Get up, don't show any weakness.' That's just me as a person.

"I had it at Villa Park. I had about £40 in 2ps launched at me. You laugh it off. It's a coin.

"Did it split his head? No, it was a little red mark that I guarantee you was gone this morning. It's just part of playing in a rivalry, it's part of what comes with it. It's not great but it's just part of it.

"One person has launched a coin. If they had another £50 of pound coins to throw at him, it wouldn't have hit him again. It's one of those things.

"It's unfortunate and it happened. But me as a person, and as a player? No chance would I have gone down."