Adam Idah typically invites a few friends over for Celtic’s Champions League matches, but this season, he’ll have 60,000 fans with him.
The Hoops’ £8.5 million striker enjoyed the atmosphere from his living room during big European matches as a fan. Now, he’ll experience the Champions League firsthand for the first time in his career. Idah is excited for the group stage draw on Thursday, where Brendan Rodgers’ team will find out who they’ll face in the tournament’s new format.
The 23-year-old has watched with family and friends in awe as the vibrant Parkhead atmosphere filled his living room. That’s why he’s thrilled to experience it firsthand this season. Looking ahead to the draw, he said: “Everyone here is so excited to play in the Champions League. Especially me, because it will be a whole new experience. It has always been a dream to play in the Champions League so to have this chance now is unbelievable.
“Everyone speaks about the atmosphere you get at Celtic Park on those big European nights. I’ve watched them with family and friends of mine since I was very young.
“I’m probably too young to really appreciate the famous win over Barcelona (in 2012). But there are more recent ones that have stuck in my memory – like the 2-2 draw with Atletico Madrid just a year ago. That was a good one.
“Or the visit of Real Madrid here the year before. That was a huge occasion, too. That was one of those games where you get together with family and friends to watch and enjoy it.
“There was a big group of us together for that one. But to experience them as a player from the inside now will be a whole new thing.
“I’m dying to play one of those games – I can’t wait for them to come around. The draw is coming up on Thursday, and it’s exciting. It will build with each passing day until we see who we’ve got.
“We know that any team we get will be tough. It’s one of the biggest competitions in football, so any opponent we play will be of a really high standard. I’m looking forward to it.”
Before facing the excitement of the Champions League, Celtic must first take on St Mirren in Paisley. Idah is confident and ready to start for Rodgers’ team after his big-money transfer from Norwich City.
Idah’s Journey: From Loan Star to Permanent Celtic Player
Although the transfer took time over the summer, he got little playing time. However, the Republic of Ireland international has dismissed doubts about his fitness. The big striker is eager to contribute after observing Celtic’s strong start to the season from a distance.
Idah said: “I feel good. There has been a lot said about me not doing much in pre-season at Norwich – but I did. I was training every day, and although I didn’t play for many minutes, I was training hard. So I think I’ve come to Celtic in good shape and feel quite sharp.
“Obviously, I just want to play games now, that’s the main aim for me. That will get me as sharp as I can be to score goals again. I’m looking forward to the game this weekend. We never take any match for granted, and St Mirren will be a good test for us.
“But we’ll go there trying to play as well as we can to get the three points. Before I signed, it was exciting to watch the team.
“I so wanted to be a part of it, and thankfully, we got there in the end. From the outside, it felt like the boys were flying. They had a good pre-season and you could see there’s a real togetherness in the group.
“They’ve all been buzzing for the new campaign, and you can see that by the way they’ve been playing on the pitch. Hopefully, we can continue that going forward. For me, watching them made me want to be part of it. The team have got off to a great start. Now I’m back and eager to try and help to keep it going.”
During his loan at Celtic last season, Idah provided fans with unforgettable moments, including his winning goal in the Scottish Cup Final against Rangers. This is why he received such a warm welcome during his second debut when he came off the bench in the League Cup victory over Hibs. Now that he’s a permanent member of the club, he’s eager to repay the fans’ support with more goals and trophies.
Idah said: “My phone has been in meltdown since I signed. And it was unbelievable to get that reception from the fans last week – it’s something I never thought would happen.
“It was great, and I want to pay them back. The support I got last week was unreal, and they’ve made me feel so welcome on my return to the club. I want to do as much as I can on the pitch now to repay that.”
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