Adam Idah on going from Norwich City scapegoat to Celtic Cup Final hero

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The Celtic Star

·10 de junho de 2024

Adam Idah on going from Norwich City scapegoat to Celtic Cup Final hero

Adam Idah has been discussing his vastly different experiences at both Norwich City and Celtic last season, while away with the Ireland squad in Portugal. And the Celtic cup final hero also discussed what is likely to happen next after he has a holiday and reports back to Norwich for pre-season training.

Idah’s season comes to a close tomorrow night in Lisbon with the friendly against Portugal before a well earned break then a pre-season at Norwich where new manager Johannes Hoff Thorup wants to assess his squad before making any decisions on transfers.

Meanwhile Celtic will be in touch looking to sign the Ireland striker who netted that sensational winner in the Scottish Cup Final win over theRangers on 25 May at Hampden to complete a glorious double for Celtic.

Vídeos OneFootball

Idah was very much a Brendan Rodgers signing and it’s clear that both Irishmen want to be re-united at Celtic next season but Idah is on a long term contract at Carrow Road and Norwich will feel that they hold many of the aces while perhaps realising that folly in holding onto a player who wants away.

“Going to that new environment was unbelievable for me and to have everyone behind you and supporting you is probably what I needed,” Idah said as reported by Paul O’Hehir via Daily Record. “I struggled a bit at Norwich, probably on the back end of a lot of things, with the way the team was going and I was probably the scapegoat to that.

“Going to Celtic really brightened it up for me and gave me a lot of confidence. For a striker to have that confidence is amazing.”

Explaining what he meant by thinking he was the scapegoat, Idah said: “I just think the (Norwich) fans and the media. It felt that anything I was doing was wrong. If I scored a goal, it wasn’t as good as the last time. If I don’t play minutes, I’m not good enough. I was just stuck in that hole.

“It probably happens to everyone in football, not just me. It was just unfortunate that I was in it at that period but who knows what’s going to happen.”

The Celtic target however has nothing but good things to say about Norwich City. “To be fair, Norwich has been brilliant. The club itself has been fantastic to me. They have shown so much support and faith in me which I can only thank them for.

“Overall, I have enjoyed Norwich. It’s the club that brought me up and where I started my career. I can only say good things about them. This is part of the football culture. You get a lot of lulls in your football career, and probably the last two years I was having those lulls.

“But I never once doubted my abilities. People say I’ve had a lot of injuries, but I’ve only had two injuries. I don’t know where this has come from, that I’m very injury prone. That’s exactly what I’m saying, it’s probably the media and the fans saying I’ve always been injured but I’ve had two injuries, two contact injuries.

“I’ve never pulled a muscle in my career. That’s the strange one for me, to be hearing that I’m always injured because it’s not the case. I never doubted myself once in my career. I’ve always been confident and I’m glad I got to show that this season.”

Celtic was a very different experience for Adam Idah and he loved every minute of his time at the club last season. “It was a new one for me going into a club and having that demand to win every game. Celtic don’t accept draws, you have to win and that was a new experience for me. Mentally as well.

“You’re going into every game knowing you have to win. There’s a never-give-up attitude and every day in training your attitude around the place is different. But it has been amazing. It has had a big impact on my career, coming to Celtic. It’s been a new environment and a new experience. It has changed (my fortunes) a lot and I’m just hungry for more now,” Idah added, hinting at his intentions to experience much more of the same in a Celtic shirt.

Looking at his Glasgow Derby goals Idah noted the difference in atmosphere at Hampden compared to Ibrox with an even split of supporters at the National Stadium compared to no away supporters at Ibrox due to theRangers small man syndrome.

“The first game I played in was at Ibrox, and that was a bit strange as we had none of our fans there. Any goals we scored, it was just dead silence,” the Irishman added. “At Hampden, that game was unbelievable as both sides were going at each other and the noise in the stadium was unreal. To top it off with the goal at the end was amazing and to do it against (the)Rangers made it even better. It’s been unbelievable.”

Adam Idah certainly sounds like a player who is desperate to make his time at Celtic permanent. It’s now going to come down to the moneymen reaching an agreement and on the new Norwich manager’s views on the wisdom or otherwise of keeping a player who wants a move. Cashing in and re-investing in his own players might be the smart move for Johannes Hoff Thorup but will Michael Nicholson pay the asking pricer necessary to get the deal done.

Adam Idah, like every other Celtic supporter, will certainly hope so. Here’s that goal from 25 May again to put a smile on your face this Monday morning…

Adam Idah 🫡🍀
– segunda-feira, 27 de maio de 2024

In another interview Idah spoke directly about his possible move to Celtic, as reported by Football Scotland. “Celtic is a massive club and built off the fans. Playing games like the Cup Final, and scoring the winner, I’m sure the fans will appreciate it and I appreciate them just as much.

“I’m still contracted to Norwich and have four years left there. I’m still going back to Norwich as it stands, I haven’t really thought too much about it. I spoke briefly to Norwich about when I’m coming back. It’s difficult at the start of the window as it’s coming up to our summer holidays and we’re on internationals right now.

“I’ve never been in this situation before and don’t know much about how it works. We’re on internationals right now and that is my main focus. Then I’ll get a holiday or two in and see what happens. Look, I’m still at Norwich and I have four years at Norwich. They are my parent club and I don’t know what’s going on.”

Here’s what Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers said immediately after the Scottish Cup final win over theRangers:

🎥 WATCH: “He has been a real catalyst and absolutely immense for us." "He is clearly someone I'd like to do something with." 🍀 Brendan Rodgers wants to keep match-winner Adam Idah at Celtic after his decisive goal secured a 1-0 win over Rangers in the Scottish Cup final. ⬇️
– sábado, 25 de maio de 2024

Morning Gossip: Idah on Celtic move "Celtic is a massive club and built off the fans. Playing games like the Cup Final, and scoring the winner, I'm sure the fans will appreciate it and I appreciate them just as much. I'm still at Norwich and I have four years at Norwich." HH
– segunda-feira, 10 de junho de 2024

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