Adam Idah cannot make any guarantees about his footballing future but he’s made it clear he’s feeling more love at Celtic than he did at Norwich City.
The Irishman scored his latest goal for the Bhoys on Saturday in a 1-0 Scottish Cup Final win over Rangers, firing home the dramatic winner in the 90th minute.
It was his ninth in total for the club since joining on loan in the January transfer window. Every contribution has been crucial to Celtic’s league and cup double success, winning points and matches when called upon.
Speaking after watching him down Rangers, Brendan Rodgers made it clear he wants to do a permanent deal for the player if the Celtic board can reach an agreement with the Canaries.
In interviews, Idah was non-committal on a long-term switch to the Bhoys but that’s the reality of modern football. Nobody really knows how the summer will pan out.
Adam Idah feels the love at Celtic
What’s clear is that the striker has been blown away by his loan spell and life is good for him right now, especially compared to his difficulties at Norwich.
Idah said [Sunday Post, 26/05 print edition, page 68]: “I probably wasn’t enjoying my football down south. I was a scapegoat and it’s tough when you’re in there.
“The love I’ve had here has been amazing. I’m loving it here. I probably didn’t expect it to be as good as what it was. This has really changed my career around.
“I’ve come up here and the players, the staff, the fans, they’ve all welcomed me in, and they’ve given me that confidence and belief to enjoy playing football again.
“I’ve been loving it here, but I am still contracted to Norwich. It’s not up to me. Football works in strange ways. I’ll have some time off now and see what happens.”
It certainly sounds as is Idah is keen on moving on from the English Championship club to commit his future to Celtic but, as he says, there are many factors at play.
Idah is tied down to the Canaries until 2028 for starters, so they hold a decent hand in negotiations. Celtic will have to stump up a decent wedge of cash to land him, with reports indicating he is valued in excess of £5m.
Hopefully, it doesn’t turn into a saga that rumbles on all summer. Either Celtic make their move for Idah or move on to new targets. Either way, Idah will be very fondly remembered for his contributions to this double success.