'He has the world at his feet' - Celtic star makes bold Adam Idah claim

Irish Daily Mirror

a day ago

Adam Idah 'has the world at his feet' and Celtic skipper Callum McGregor insists he can be their main man this season.
Idah smashed 20 goals in his first full campaign after joining the Scottish Premiership champions on a permanent deal 11 months ago, having initially impressed on loan.
But even with that goal haul, he still hasn't won over all sections of Celtic's support, some of whom feel he hasn't justified the reported £9.5m transfer fee to Norwich City.
Daizen Maeda was Celtic's top scorer last season with a whopping 33 goals but his future is uncertain amid links to Tottenham, Brentford, West Ham and Fenerbahce.
Nicolas Kühn was second best in those scoring charts, bagging one more than Idah - but Idah's 13 goals since January trumped the German's seven.
And Idah also delivered big moments in that run, including a Champions League brace against Aston Villa.
Idah may be carrying a weight on his back as he tries to convince everyone of his value, but McGregor is adamant he can be a leading light for Celtic.
Celtic are in Ireland on Tuesday to play Cork City at Pairc Ui Chaoimh and with Idah returning home to Leeside, McGregor said: 'He's been excellent.
'He's still a young player who is developing and learning all the time. He will get better with more games, more experience. He's been someone that I've been hugely impressed with and actually he has the world at his feet with the ability and talent he's got.
'We've been really impressed with him and we just continue to try and push and get the maximum out of him because he's a top young player.'
Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers has snapped up Fulham youngster Callum Osmand as another striking option ahead of the new campaign.
But McGregor is backing Idah to thrive under the increased competition, stating: 'The expectation here is enormous. For the local lads, and for the Irish lads who come over, there's a huge expectation. Everyone in Ireland would give their right hand to play for Celtic.
'So right away there's a huge expectation and demand on the guys who come in. They need a little bit of time to adapt and accept that pressure.
'But I think the boys who have done it have done amazingly well and are a really strong part of the squad and that's testament to them.'
On Idah, McGregor continued: 'I've been at this club a long, long time and I've seen so many cycles of players come into the team. I've seen them burst onto the scene, have a little bit of a lull but come back and come back even stronger.
'You're dealing with young players who need time and that adaptation period for what is a massive club with massive expectations. What Adam did in his first six months here on loan probably led to the expectation when he signed permanently in the summer.
'But to hit 20 goals in your first full season is an amazing return for someone who will get better with more experience, more games and will learn the game more and more.
'I think he has the world at his feet. His profile - he''s a big lad, he can run, he can shoot. He has all the attributes to become a top striker and our job is to get that out of him.'
Former Shamrock Rovers striker Johnny Kenny is also pushing for inclusion in Rodgers' attack, and McGregor says the Sligo man, 22, is certainly putting his hand up.
Like Idah, he also scored 20 goals last season - in the league and Europe - before leaving Rovers and returning to his parent club. Kenny then made nine appearances for Celtic over the second half of their season, and scored in the 5-1 rout of Aberdeen.
McGregor insists Kenny has plenty to offer and the 32-year-old, who has been at Celtic since he was a youth, said: 'He's been excellent and someone who has grown.
'He came in off a really good reputation in the League of Ireland, scoring a lot of goals at a really young age. He's matured into a very good young footballer and someone who works so hard. The signs are really good for him.
'We've got a talent there that we want to push and get the absolute maximum out of because he's been first class since he came back.'
Meanwhile, McGregor has revealed how their upcoming trip to Ireland is fuelling a revenge mission as Celtic are still hurting from missing out on the treble. That dreamed died a death when they lost to Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup final at Hampden Park in May.
McGregor said: 'It was a tough moment, there's no shying away from that. But it gives you more and more motivation to achieve even more this season.
'The ones you don't win are the ones that stay with you and fuel the fire, so we've had a couple of weeks off to digest it and try and find a positive somewhere. All it does is make me more hungry to go and be successful and win even more.'
Celtic begin their pre-season away to Queen's Park tomorrow night before Tuesday's 'Cork Super Cup' clash with the Rebels on Leeside. And McGregor added: 'The connection between the Irish fans has been there through the test of the time.
'It's nice to come over and see the fans and hopefully give the best version of ourselves as we prepare for another long season. We're all looking forward to it, it's a special stadium and we'll hopefully go there and put on a show.'