Celtic flop Teemu Pukki has been named the English Championship’s Player of the Year, in an incredible campaign for the Finnish star.
Pukki has netted 26 goals in 33 Championship matches. It’s an incredible record given his lackluster period in Scotland, when he scored nine goals in just 37 appearances.
Since leaving Parkhead back in 2014, he went to Brondby before signing for Norwich on a free transfer last summer. Yet, incredibly, he’s returned to Britain a much more rounded player.
Just one glance at the former Celtic star shows you how bulked up he is. He looks a much more powerful player than the one Neil Lennon signed from Helsinki. His side are also now seven points clear at the top of the Championship.
Pukki had to beat the likes of Billy Sharp and Che Adams to take the EFL award. He remains the top scorer in the Championship too. He’s now the first Norwich striker to score more than 25 goals during a season since Chris Sutton.
Would you mind another shot for Pukki at Parkhead?
When it comes to signing targets for the summer, a forward wouldn’t be the worst idea. With Timothy Weah and Oliver Burke scheduled to go back to their parent clubs, the Hoops will only have Odsonne Edouard and, hopefully, Leigh Griffiths back in their ranks.
But promotion for Pukki would surely put any idea of Celtic going for him to bed. No valuation has been set on him, but goalscorers at Championship level could easily go for silly money.
Pukki would also surely like a crack at the English Premier League this season. Therefore, it looks like we will have to just sit and wonder what if regarding the Finn.
There’s no denying Celtic didn’t do anything wrong in letting him go, however. He was only at half the level he’s currently operating at, and he hardly lit the stars up at Brondby before heading to England either.
Looking on at Pukki with any regrets would be pointless. Celtic just simply caught Pukki at the wrong moment, and at a time when his game was extremely lacking.
Credit to him for turning his career around, but it’s not something we should look at and point any finger of blame towards our own club for.
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