Kasper Hogh has insisted he holds no regrets about swapping Bodo/Glimt for Celtic, even though his former club secured a Champions League spot just days after the Hoops were eliminated from the competition by LASK.
The 25-year-old Danish striker smiled as the Champions League anthem played before the first leg against LASK at Celtic Park, but the Austrians ended those hopes in the return fixture. Hogh said he was happy for Bodo/Glimt, but his focus is firmly on his current club.
No Looking Back for Hogh
Speaking ahead of the Falkirk match, Hogh said: "No, I'm a Celtic player now. I'm so happy for Bodo doing well, but I'm a Celtic player and it is what it is."
He added: "Full respect to Bodo also, and congratulations to them. Somebody has to qualify, somebody has to not. We have to learn, so that's not my job to say why or not. But I have to work for it, so we can do it another time. That's my focus."
The striker, who cost Celtic a record £11 million, is now looking forward to the Europa League campaign, where the Hoops will face Marseille, Ferencvaros, Celta Vigo and Besiktas at home, with trips to Benfica, Union Saint-Gilloise, Omonia Nicosia and Torreense to come.
Europa League Ambitions
Hogh said: "I'm so thankful to play for this club. The Europa League is still big for me, I'm just a boy playing football and we're going to play some amazing teams also. So I hope and I think you will see a happy boy when the music comes on."
He added: "Celtic is a big club, you can do everything you want to and believe in, you just have to do the work. So of course we have big ambitions and dreams."
The forward was disappointed by the LASK collapse but is eager to lift the mood as the league title defence resumes at home to Falkirk. He said: "Of course I'm disappointed. And I fully understand that all the fans and everybody else is disappointed. But we have a new day today, I'm thankful for that. And we're going to put on the boots and then we're going to show what we're made of."
Ready to Fire
Hogh suffered cramp in Linz but is ready to play against Falkirk after scoring a hat-trick in the previous Premiership outing against Kilmarnock. He said: "It's so nice, and people have been so kind to me, and I like the surroundings and all the stuff, so I can't complain at all, I'm thankful for it."
The striker also revealed he will keep his long hair, following the example of his idol Erling Haaland. He said: "He's a big inspiration. I'm a huge fan of Haaland and the way he's playing football, the lifestyle there with what you can optimise, so big respect to him. If I could do what he's doing one day that would be amazing, but he's levels above me. I love to watch his game, he scores so many goals."
He added: "A lot of my friends know I'm a big fan, they ask me [about his hair], but I will try to grow it longer, I will stay with it."
