Celtic defender Filip Benkovic could have been growing more than just a reputation had football not altered his course. The 20-year-old Croatian, currently on loan at Celtic for first-team exposure from Leicester following a £13m move this summer to the Premier League side, has his focus on harvesting a top-flight career after shedding his agricultural background.

And as Celtic prepare for their third meeting in the Europa League, Benkovic is eager to sow the seeds for a journey out of Group B and into the knockout stages of the tournament. The anticipation is that Brendan Rodgers’ side will be exposed to the harshest elements from the Bundesliga side on Thursday evening with their ability to weather that critical in what they yield from their Europa League experience.

“Who knows what will happen at the end of my career,” pondered the affable Benkovic. “Maybe one day I can open my own farm. I have been thinking about this because my family have worked in the countryside. I come from Zagreb but my grandparents come from the countryside. My father grew up in a small village. Sometimes I used to help my grandparents on a farm – but now I’m too busy with my football.”

The defender will have ample food for thought before Thursday night’s game. Leipzig have slipped to fifth in the Bundesliga following their weekend stalemate against Augsburg but in a reflection of just how tight the league is, they are just five points off the pace of league leaders Borussia Dortmund and a solitary point behind Bayern Munich. It is in this environment, though, where Benkovic appreciates there is currency to be gained.

“European football is top for me,” said the defender. “These games against teams like Leipzig are special because the players are all international level and they are main players in the national teams. It’s a challenge for us to see where we are and to try and be competitive. We want to compete and to show that to everyone.

“They played very good football last year – even Bayern Munich could not say this was a certain three points because of the level Leipzig have reached. But we can’t go there to give up. We must fight for the 90 minutes and try to get some points. It can be our toughest game. But we have one clean sheet – why not another.

“The biggest game I have played was against Seville or Lyon [with Croatia Zagreb].

“I felt good in these games. The game I liked most was a 1-0 defeat to Lyon in Zagreb. We lost yet it’s still a good memory.

“We played very well and this game can only give you more experience. This is the level I want to get to one day. I was up against [Alexandre] Lacazette – it was a hard night!”

From Celtic’s point of view, establishing a central defensive partnership between Benkovic and Dedryck Boyata could offer a solidity at the back that has not always been evident, particularly in European competition. The duo’s time together has been curtailed by injuries but with both fit and available it will be interesting to see what they can offer as a pairing.

“I am looking forward to playing beside Dedryck,” said Benkovic. “Dedryck plays for the Belgian national team, which shows his quality. Every day in training, I watch his moves and I’ve learned a lot just from that I file away everything I learn from him in my head.

“He also gives me advice – just like Jozo [Simunovic] and the other players, which is positive. Celtic have a good mix of young and experienced players in the central defensive positions. That means the younger ones like myself have very good energy while the older professionals bring their knowledge. We can have a good season together but it will not be easy. There are a lot of good teams so we must work hard every single day – we can’t relax in any game; we must push hard all the time.”

Benkovic had been on the radar of Celtic long before arriving in Glasgow at the end of August with the Parkhead having kept tabs on the player prior to his Leicester move this summer. He has settled in relatively seamlessly to the Parkhead backline and despite a level of uncertainty about his future – his parent club have a clause which means they can recall him in January if necessary - he is focused on life at Celtic.

“I knew that they had been watching me and, honestly, I was happy about that,” he said. “When this loan move was mentioned, I wanted to come because when a club as big as Celtic is interested in you it can only mean you are doing the right things.

“I have settled in very well. The whole squad has accepted me and I am really happy to be here. I was in a hotel at first but now I have an apartment, which is much easier for me. Some of my team-mates have assisted me and I thank them for that – Jozo has been a big help since my first day.”