Celtic winger Luis Palma is on a high after starting, scoring and celebrating with family on a special trophy day inside Paradise on Saturday.
The Honduran international has had ups and downs this season. From the joy of scoring in the Champions League to the frustration of injuries and a spell out of the team, Palma has experienced a lot since signing last summer.
He put an excellent full stop on his campaign with a well-taken winning goal against St Mirren in Saturday’s 3-2 victory, latching onto Anthony Ralston’s superb whipped back-post cross.
With his friends and family in attendance, it was a big day for him and he relished the title celebrations in front of 60,000 fans in the aftermath.
Luis Palma’s ‘unforgettable’ Celtic day
Taking to Instagram on Saturday night, Palma made it clear he is living the dream at Celtic.
He said: “Thank you God for blessing me so much in this life. I dreamed it so much and now it’s a reality. My family, who has been my engine throughout this journey. My girlfriend, who has been an important pillar. What an unforgettable day. Thank you all for your support.”
Despite featuring for the full 90 against St Mirren, Palma probably hasn’t quite managed to play his way into the starting eleven for next week’s Scottish Cup Final.
However, he’s shown he can contribute and could be the man Rodgers turns to if Celtic need a spark from the bench in the second half against Rangers.
Luis Palma’s numbers for Celtic in debut season
The Honduran hit double figures in goals and assists in all competitions with 10 in each category. That’s not a bad return for a debut campaign, especially when the second half was so disrupted.
Per FotMob, he led Scottish Premiership wingers in expected assists per 90 minutes, demonstrating his creative powers. He also led the league’s widemen in chances created, with four on average per 90 minutes which is excellent stuff.
There’s talent there, it’s just about harnessing that correctly. Palma also needs to step up to the physical exertions required to be a pressing winger at the Bhoys, he is competing with the relentless Daizen Maeda after all.
I’m looking forward to seeing what’s in store in his second season at Celtic.
