Odin Thiago Holm eager to leave Valerenga ‘as soon as possible’ after Celtic bid

Odin Thiago Holm could not wait to get away from Valerenga when the chance to join Celtic came along.

The 20-year-old midfielder became the Parkhead club’s first recruit of the 2023/24 season and the new Brendan Rodgers era last month when he signed a five-year deal.

The Norwegian had no hesitation when the opportunity to move to the Hoops arose.

He told CelticTV: “I didn’t really think, I just wanted to leave as soon as possible.

“It’s Champions League, you play to win every game, it’s a big club.

“It feels really nice, it’s a really big club.

“I don’t think people in Norway understand how big the club is, because Valerenga is a club from the capital with 10,000 for each game and here we have 60,000 so it’s a really big step.”

Holm, who has played for Norway at youth level up to under-20s, revealed his first meeting with new boss Rodgers was in Majorca during his holiday and he was suitably impressed – and now looks to impress the Celtic support.

He said: “I was on vacation in Majorca and I actually met him there in his house, so he seems like a very kind, humble guy with man-management and was easy to talk to and was open, so that was nice.

“His CV is very nice and he’s managed Celtic before – Liverpool, Swansea, Leicester – so you get a bit star-struck at first, but I’m looking forward to working with the manager.

“I think I’m a creative player that likes a bit of freedom to play on my instincts with the final pass, scoring goals, assists. I like to play as number eight or number 10 offensively.

“It’s not going to be easy. I want to perform and be part of the first XI after some time.

“I’m really excited to start and play for the fans.”