We all know how much Celtic winger Luis Palma is loved back in Honduras. Whenever he goes on international duty, he tends to be one of the first players the media want to speak to.
Palma’s move to Celtic put Honduran football back on the European scene in a way that has not been seen since the days of former Celtic defender, Emilio Izaguirre.
Izaguirre is now the Sporting Director for Honduran side, Motagua, and this week the former Celtic man made his first summer signing at the club.
21-year-old Clever Portillo joined Motagua from Palma’s old side Vida, and he has spoken of his respect for the Honduran international and how he plans to make a classy gesture for Izaguirre and Celtic for the coming season.
Portillo wants to bring Celtic number ‘to life’
Taking his first press conference as a Motagua player, Portillo spoke of his respect for Izaguirre and how he requested to have the number three jersey which is the number the cult Celtic hero wore during his time at Parkhead.
Portillo said [El Heraldo], “I told him to give me the number three jersey to bring that number back to life.
“I was talking to Emilio Izaguirre, I told him to give me the 3 to bring that number back to life again so I can give the country something to talk about.
“I’m calm, I think I can contribute a lot to the team. But I respect that, and if there’s another teammate who has it, I’ll see which ones are available and then I’ll see which one the team assigns me.”
Luis Palma ‘inspires’ young Honduran footballer
Speaking about which footballers inspired him to get to where he is now, Portillo didn’t hesitate to point out Palma’s Champions League exploits.
Portillo continued, “Luis Palma. He has worked so hard and look where he is. Who would have imagined that from eating his food in the back of the team bus to playing in the Champions League, a Honduran?
“I think he inspires me a lot, he motivates me to be like him, not as much as him because of the position [he plays], but he inspires me to know that we have a chance out there.”
Clearly, Palma is well-respected and loved by his fellow professionals in Honduras and it’s great to see Izaguirre’s Celtic background also inspiring the young footballers there.
This can only further raise Celtic’s profile out there and, who knows, maybe both Celtic men could inspire a future Palma or Izaguirre to ply their trade at Paradise in the future.