Mechelen boss Wouter Vrancken admits he would like to sign Celtic loanee Marian Shved permanently - just months after telling the winger to give up football.
The Ukrainian playmaker signed for the Belgian Pro League side on loan last summer after struggling to make the grade in the Scottish Premiership since his £2m move to Celtic in 2019.
After being shipped out on loan by Neil Lennon, he couldn't hold down a regular starting spot and Vrancken sensationally told the 23-year-old to "go play billiards for the rest of his life or something".
With Shved netting three goals in his last four games the gaffer has climbed down from the claims and now hopes a permanent deal can be agreed.
Vrancken insists there has been a huge change in attitude since his outburst earlier in the season claiming "the old Marian is nothing comparable to the Marian of today."
He told Belgian newspaper GVA : “In the past you could tell from his face that he didn't like being here.
"He isolated himself and a smile could never fail. As a team we have tried enough to talk to him. Now his attitude on and off the field has completely changed. He is committed and makes contacts. He's one of the guys now.
“Marian remains an introvert, of course, but that's okay.
"In the locker room there are plenty of leaders who pull him along and then you can see from his body language that he is genuinely very happy that he can be decisive. That is nice to see."
When asked if he would now like to make the move permanent, he added: “Of course I hope that Marian will stay with KV Mechelen, although I hope so from my entire front line. It currently brings a lot of quality.”
