Kasper Høgh Has Become a Ghost of His Bodø/Glimt Days — And Celtic’s Pressure Is Only Growing

I wanted Kasper Høgh to be a success at Celtic. When we spent around £11 million to bring him from Bodø/Glimt, I thought we were signing a striker capable of transforming our attack.

Now, just a few months later, I am struggling to recognise the player we were so excited about.

At Bodø/Glimt, Høgh looked like a natural goalscorer. He delivered in domestic football and showed he could compete on the European stage, including scoring against some of the biggest clubs in the game. That was the player Celtic believed they were bringing to Glasgow.

But where has he gone?

Høgh has scored in just one of his first 13 appearances for Celtic, with his hat-trick against Kilmarnock accounting for his goals so far. For a striker brought in as a club-record signing, that is a frightening decline in output.

The concern is not simply that he is missing chances. It is that he looks increasingly disconnected from our attacking play. We need our centre-forward to occupy defenders, bring others into the game, make intelligent runs and give the opposition something to worry about.

Instead, there have been too many occasions when Høgh has struggled to make an impact.

Of course, we need to acknowledge the pressure he is under. An £11 million price tag brings expectations, and at Celtic those expectations are amplified by the demands of the supporters. Every missed chance becomes a talking point. Every quiet performance raises further questions about whether the money was well spent.

That pressure can become a vicious circle. The longer the goals refuse to come, the more every opportunity matters. Martin O’Neill has admitted Høgh has lost confidence, while continuing to back him to rediscover his scoring touch.

But patience cannot mean ignoring what is happening on the pitch.

Camilo Durán has looked far more dangerous in recent weeks, while Callum Osmand has also demonstrated what energy and movement can bring to our attack. Their performances have made Høgh’s struggles even more obvious, and the question of who should lead the line is becoming harder to avoid.

I am not writing Høgh off. We have seen enough of his previous ability to know there is a footballer in there, and a difficult start does not mean a transfer has to become a failure.

However, Celtic cannot select players based on what they did for another club. Høgh must start showing us why we invested so heavily in him.

The frightening thing is how far he currently looks from the striker we thought we were signing.

At Bodø/Glimt, he looked like a forward ready for the next step. At Celtic, he looks like a player searching for answers.

The talent may still be there, but the goals, confidence and influence need to return quickly.

Because at Celtic, potential only buys you so much time. Eventually, you have to deliver.