Celtic new boy Erik Sviatchenko has revealed that his enthusiasm for cycling earned him the nickname the Sponge back in Denmark.
The 24-year-old has already established himself a reliable centre-back at Celtic Park since his switch from Danish outfit FC Midtjylland during the January transfer window.
Sviatchenko has thus far made four appearances in all competitions for the Scottish champions, starting three of those.
And the defender, who progressed through FC Midtjylland’s youth system, insisted that from last year he started cycling religiously both before and after training, which earned him the uncommon nickname.
“They call me the Sponge in Denmark”, Sviatchenko said on Celtic TV, when asked about his nickname.
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“It started a year ago because I started cycling 15 minutes before and after training, so every time I was in the dressing room I was on the bike, so they called me Sponge.
“Because for me it’s like a sponge, when you put soap on it, if you do this [press] underneath the shower head, the soap will go away quicker as well as my body will be better if I bicycle.”
Sviatchenko, whose present contract with Celtic runs until 2020, made 25 appearances in all competitions for FC Midtyjlland in the present campaign, while in total he turned out 130 times for the Danish club.
He has four caps and a goal for Denmark to his name and has also represented the nation at various youth levels.
