Celtic striker Patryk Klimala admits he realised he needed to bulk up after struggling to compete in training.
The Polish striker arrived in January in a £3.5million deal from Jagiellonia Bialystok and now hopes to make an impact after struggling in the first few months.
The coronavirus pandemic caused his season to end early in March and he's returned to pre-season with a new look, with team-mate Callum McGregor describing him as looking like a bouncer.
But it was training sessions against Christopher Jullien that forced the 21-year-old to hit the weights because he felt he had no chance of competing with the Frenchman.
The giant defender is a difficult player to shove off the ball at the best of times but Klimala reckons that he's on the up since returning with a bit more muscle.
He told CelticTV: "I had talked about going to the gym because when I fight on the pitch with Chris Jullien for example, it was really hard. I didn’t have any chance and that’s why I did this.
"It’s a lot better, I feel, and hopefully the guys see the same about me.
"Before I came here I knew it would be a difficult six months and it was. I know I don’t play much so now I feel really good, I’m ready, I feel ready to show the fans what I can do.
"I feel comfortable now. I know what (Odsonne) Edouard did last season, I’ve worked hard and hopefully I get a chance to show something more.
"I spoke with Kendo (John Kennedy), I know what I have to do, why I am here and we will see."
Klimala has also revealed he's taking English lessons on a daily basis to communicate better with his team-mates, although he revealed he already understands what everyone is saying.
He's got used to the Scottish accent but admits that although he can understand his Celtic team-mates when they talk, he struggles to hold a conversation at the minute.
He added: "I understand everything, sometimes I have a problem with speaking. I don’t know why, it’s difficult situation but I do this because I respect the team-mates, the manager, the fans and I can speak with everyone in English and I’m learning every day.
"I feel better with the language but hopefully it will get better."
