Odin Thiago Holm has opened up on his difficult spell at Celtic after returning to Valerenga on loan.
The Norwegian midfielder was signed in the period between the spells of Ange Postecoglou and Brendan Rodgers, resulting in him never really having a designated place in the team.
He started just four games in his first season with the Hoops. Despite this, he vowed that he had ‘unfinished business’ at Celtic after moving on loan to LAFC last winter.
But he made just five appearances for the MLS club, revealing that he had been suffering from a rare health condition which left him feeling “half-paralysed”.
Celtic have bloated their squad with a high volume of ‘project’ signings over the last decade…
Odin Thiago Holm on his time with Celtic in Glasgow
On the VG Podcast via the Daily Record, Holm said: “I’ve missed being here (Valerenga). I’ve been really looking forward to coming back.
“It’s been tough. Glasgow is a tough city.
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“When you don’t have a social network and you end up in a situation where you’re not playing football, it’s hard to find many sources of joy.
“There wasn’t much joy in football, and that’s natural when you don’t play.
“My first priority is to enjoy football again. It was really good to get a session here again. The body feels good.”
Holm is returning to the club where he started his senior career in Valerenga, once managed by ex-Hoops boss Ronny Deila.
Perhaps the most notable moment of his Celtic career – which consisted of 16 appearances, mostly from the bench – was his sending off in his Champions League debut against Feyenoord.
He also scored a goal in a rare start as a holding midfielder at home to Buckie Thistle in the Scottish Cup in January 2025.
Born Odin Holm, he was such a massive fan of former Barcelona and Liverpool star Thiago Alcantara that he legally added “Thiago” as a middle name in 2017.
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Celtic players out on loan
Maik Nawrocki recently made his return from injury in the German second tier, where he is pushing for promotion with Hannover 96.
Shin Yamada joined Nawrocki in the division last month, but he already looks to be out of the plans at Prussia Munster.
Stephen Welsh’s last-minute return to Motherwell has seen him pick up where he left off at Fir Park: enjoying the best season of his career.
Johnny Kenny’s Bolton debut was controversial after he was involved in a collision that left Reading’s Paudie O’Connor needing stitches, but he has nevertheless been on good goalscoring form.
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