On the surface, Danish international Erik Sviatchenko looks like the typical Celtic signing of the modern era.
A largely unknown quantity prior to his arrival in Glasgow, the center back fits the club prototype in the age of limited resources fostered by the economics of Scottish football. Available at the relatively bargain-basement price of £1.5 million in the January transfer window, the Hoops hope they have found a young player on the rise that they can mold into a star and sell on to a club in a bigger league (say, the EPL or La Liga) at a sizable profit.
Think of him as the 2016 version of Virgil van Dijk or Victor Wanyama.
But scratch beneath the surface and you’ll soon learn that Sviatchenko has a certain depth and broad range of interests to him that you won’t find in professional footballers at his or any other level.
Born in Viborg, Denmark on October 4, 1991, Sviatchenko’s parents are of Ukrainian descent, but the player has represented their adopted homeland at various youth levels and, since 2015, with the senior team.
In addition to loyalty to Denmark, the promising footballer has also inherited another trait from his parents: an interest in things, well, other than football. His father, Sergei, is a well-known visual artist and, not surprisingly, his children have a passion for the arts as well.
My papas amazing abstract paintings #sergeisviatchenko #paintings #art pic.twitter.com/dCeuxTJhA0
— Erik Sviatchenko (@eriksviat) August 15, 2015
In an age when most professional athletes, regardless of the sport they play, rarely share with the public anything beyond an interest in popular movies, music or television shows, Sviatchenko stands out. He and his brother Philip have a fashion blog, called Close Up and Private, and the player has been known to model a few of his favorite styles and share his thoughts on, and interest in, photography and the arts.
“I like to be up to different things,” the Dane told the Scottish Daily Record on the day his signing with Celtic was announced. “My family means a lot to me and we discuss a lot of things just to be enlightened about things happening around the world, so I try to keep up. I think it’s good to have some brain activities. I will go and visit all the cultural things I can in Glasgow but sometimes I will also enjoy watching a movie or playing a game of FIFA even though it’s not that often.”
Always grateful of people who wants to take a photo or have an autograph.A privilege Once I was that young boy. pic.twitter.com/3W7YUh2oV6
— Erik Sviatchenko (@eriksviat) February 25, 2016
Seeing potential for all things Sviatchenko both on and off the pitch, Celtic have decided to double-down on the Dane, signing his pregnant girlfriend Anne to its women’s team.
Celtic has signed Erik Sviatchenko’s girlfriend Anne to its women’s team. Photo: @dreamteamfc | Twitter
With a background like that, it’s not likely Celtic fans will forget Sviatchenko anytime soon. However, whether his play makes them forget the stars of the past remains to be seen.
