Rodgers in 'you can never win' Celtic transfer scenario as £9.5m star 'will be worth a lot more than that'

Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers believes they got a ‘great deal’ for Adam Idah from Norwich City and has backed the player to hit the ground running at Celtic Park.

He spent the second-half of last season on loan with the Hoops and scored nine goals, including the winner in the Scottish Cup final against rivals Rangers. The Republic of Ireland international, who is 23-years-old, helped the Glasgow giants win the Scottish Premiership title in the last campaign and following a summer of limbo, he is now back full-time and itching to get going. Rodgers’ side are aiming to win the league again and impress in Europe as well this term.

Celtic have brought in Idah in a deal worth up to £9.5million to add more competition and depth to their striking department. Speaking ahead of their League Cup clash at home to Hibernian this Sunday, Rodgers has said: “You can never win can you! I mean you spend money, you don’t spend money, you spend too much... We’ve got a great deal. I know the player we have here. For me it is just about moving him in the direction that I believe he can move in. He’s got all the talent, he’s 6ft3inc, he’s quick, he’s strong, his touch is good, he can score goals.

“Like I said, he has big moments in big games. For me there are still areas he can improve on of course but as a young player that is what you would expect. I really think whatever money we paid for him, he’s worth every single penny of it. He’ll demonstrate that over the next 24 months. He’ll be worth a lot more then that.”

Idah joined Norwich in 2017 from College Corinthians and broke into their first-team in 2019. He went on to play 116 games altogether for the East Anglian outfit and found the net on 17 occasions.

The forward was given the green light to leave on a temporary basis this past winter when Celtic came calling, despite the Canaries competing for a place in the Championship play-offs in the last campaign. He proved to be a useful option for the Hoops to have in their squad and chipped in with some big goals.

Idah has penned a five-year deal and is delighted to be back as he looks to battle it out with Kyogo Furuhashi for a place in the team. He has said: “When I came here the first time, the love and support I got from everyone was amazing, and for me to feel that connections with everyone was really important to me.

“And obviously in terms of that connection I had with the fans, the staff and the players, that helped me out on the pitch. It was so comfortable coming the first time, the lads welcoming me and speaking with Brendan and all the staff, the fans and how they treated me, it was almost the easiest transition ever. I settled in quite quickly and then playing the games, scoring goals – it was amazing.”