Why Kasper Hogh Can Follow Laudrup And Larsson At Celtic
Scottish Expert: Kasper Hogh is exactly what Celtic need. Celtic sign Kasper Hogh for club-record £11m from Bodo/Glimt.
Celtic expert says club-record signing Kasper Hogh is precisely what Celtic needed...
On Wednesday, Celtic wrapped up a club-record £11m move for Denmark international striker Kasper Hogh. The 25-year-old had been their top striker target all summer, and Hogh has put pen to paper on a four-year deal.
Ryan McDonald about how Hogh suits the needs of Martin O'Neill side for the season ahead, and about the huge expectations now on the former Bodo/Glimt forward at Celtic Park.
Even after sealing the 2025–26 Scottish Premiership title in mid-May with a dramatic 3-1 win over Heart of Midlothian, Celtic struggled with a widely talked-about lack of strikers all season.
Celtic still managed to come through and win the league, but they leaned heavily on non-strikers and midfielders for goals during the campaign.
The main issue for the Scottish champions was consistency and real depth up front, with Celtic often missing a proven, elite No.9 who could stay fit and carry the load in both domestic and European games.
Celtic’s struggles up front have been clear since they sold Kyogo Furuhashi in January 2025. Sweden international attacking midfielder Benjamin Nygren ended up leading the line in attack, finishing as top scorer with 21 goals in all competitions.
Winger Daizen Maeda, who joined Ipswich Town in July, was often deployed through the middle to fill the void. He still managed a respectable 14 league goals, but former managers and pundits warned that using wide players centrally left Celtic without a natural, clinical striker.
Celtic scored just 73 goals last season, their lowest tally since 2017-18. The Scottish champions also underperformed an xG of 80.94 and missed 84 big chances, and according to Ryan McDonald, that lack of firepower sparked major protests against the Celtic board.
“The board has been criticised for their transfer failings in their last three or four windows. They failed to properly support Brendan Rodgers last season, which led to the humiliating Champions League play-off exit to Kairat Almaty, a team that had never played in the competition before.
“So that was a massive blow to the aspirations for the season, and that led to fan protests pretty much throughout the whole season.”
“The fans and the team have been crying out for a new striker ever since Celtic sold Kyogo to Rennes about 18 months ago. They hadn't really signed a replacement in that period and left an enormous void up front.
“There was a massive disharmony, a massive disconnect between the fans and the boardroom, and it really soured the entire season.”
Celtic start their 2026/27 Champions League journey in the play-off round, with the first leg set for 18/19 August. With that deadline looming, the Celtic board faced huge pressure to land a main striker - and Ryan McDonald believes they’ve got their man in former Bodo/Glimt forward Kasper Hogh.
“He's a player who comes in with a real pedigree. A really exciting track record. A prolific track record. He's a hugely exciting signing. I think, definitely, from what I've heard when I have spoken to former teammates and Norwegian pundits, Kasper Hogh is certainly a penalty-box striker.
“When you spend £11m, and you hand him the No. 9 shirt, he's going to be the first-choice striker,” says McDonald.
Hogh is expected to partner Camilo Duran up front, the striker Celtic signed from Qarabag for £6m. The Dane finished last season as Bodo/Glimt’s top scorer with 17 goals in 28 league games and helped them to second in the Norwegian Eliteserie.
He also netted five times in the Champions League group and knockout rounds, including a memorable first-half double in a 3-1 shock win over Manchester City and a key goal away at Atletico Madrid. Those performances earned him his first senior Denmark call-up and debut in March 2026.
Arriving in Glasgow with a club-record £11m fee on his head, the pressure on the Dane to deliver will be huge. But McDonald is confident Hogh will be exactly what Celtic supporters are hoping for.
“He leads by example on the pitch. He's a popular personality off the pitch and in the changing room. So I don't think he strikes me as the type of character that is going to buckle under the sort of pressure of that price tag.
“Obviously, it's a big jump coming from playing in front of 7-8,000 fans at Bodo/Glimt to suddenly playing in front of 60,000 passionate fans at Celtic Park.
“But I spoke to Vidar Riseth, a former Celtic player, who is now a Norwegian TV pundit. He made the point that Kasper is used to this because he has played in some of the biggest arenas in European football for Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League, where he has scored.
“So I think Kasper will quickly settle at Celtic Park and once he gets that first goal under his belt, I'm pretty sure he'll start scoring goals”
Scandinavian players have a strong track record of settling fast and doing well in Scottish football, thanks to similar cultures, a strong work ethic, and a welcoming setup at clubs. Brian Laudrup, Henrik Larsson, Kristoffer Ajer and Erik Sviatchenko are just a few who adapted quickly to life and football in Scotland.
“I think Celtic have a pretty decent track record for signing Scandinavian players. Having guys like Cal McGregor, James Forrest, and Kieran Tierney in the dressing room, there won't be any issues with settling in. I think Hogh will be welcomed with open arms.
“Sviatchenko's name is etched in Celtic folklore. That's one of the biggest achievements in Scottish football history. If Hogh can do half as well as Erik, who won a Treble with Celtic and went a full-league season unbeaten, they will be singing Hogh's name forever at Celtic Park,” ends McDonald
No comments:
Leave comment here