Last season’s free scoring Celtic – What a difference a year makes | OneFootball

A year ago today, on 23 November 2024 Celtic travelled to Edinburgh to take on Hearts in the Scottish Premiership and came away with an emphatic 4-1 victory…

Adam Idah. Hearts v Celtic, Scottish Premiership, Tynecastle. 23 November 2024. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

The takeaway though looking back on this match is who scored the four Celtic goals. Three players got their names on the scoresheet and none of them are at the club today. Kyogo scored twice and by this time the club were well aware that he wanted to leave – he asked for a transfer in the summer window but to his wish to move to a Top Five league in order to realise his World Cup dream with Japan next summer.

Kyogo scores. Hearts v Celtic, 23 November 2024. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Kyogo was sold in January after Celtic’s qualification to the Champions League playoffs after a victory over Swiss side Young Boys at Celtic Park. Celtic received around £10m for the transfer – not bad given Kyogo had just turned 30 prior to his transfer. In a separate deal Celtic purchased Jota from Rennes for roughly the same money, although reports at the time indicated that Celtic made a small profit on the two-way transfer we were told weren’t related.

Jota of course suffered an ACL injury at Tannadice back in April on the day Celtic won the title and is still a few months away from any sort of return to action.

Arne Engels and Nicolas Kuhn look on as Jota receives treatment. Dundee United 0 Celtic 5 at Tannadice Park on April 26, 2025 (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Also on the scoresheet for Celtic at Tynecastle a year ago today was Nicolas Kuhn, who had enjoyed a real purple patch at the club scoring some crucial Champions League goals and generally looking like Celtic’s top performer and a leading candidate for Celtic’s Player of the Year.

Nicolas Kuhn celebrates. Hearts v Celtic, 23 November 2024. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Kuhn continued that form until the Champions League campaign ended in Munich with Celtic coming within seconds of taking to Bayern to extra-time thanks to the former Rapid Vienna winger’s excellent goal. Kuhn too wanted away and his form declined after the European campaign ended. He did score on the day Jota was injured and made a sign to his critics. By July he had got his move, with Celtic collecting £17m from Italian side Como, where he has so far struggled to make much of an impact.

Nicolas Kühn of Celtic celebrates after scoring his team’s second goal during the SPL | Premier League match between Dundee United FC and Celtic FC at Tannadice Park on April 26, 2025 . (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

The other goal scorer at Celtic at Tynecastle a year ago today was Adam Idah, who was sold to Swansea City for around £7m on transfer deadline day in the summer. Idah didn’t want to leave but seemed to have been affected by the constant criticism that came his way. He scored 20 goals last season and arriving in the previous season’s January transfer window on loan from Norwich City, he made a significant contribution to Celtic winning a tight title race against Philippe Clement’s Ibrox side. (The Belgian boss is now Norwich manager).

Idah rounded off his successful loan spell at Celtic by scoring the winner in the Scottish Cup final in 2024 against theRangers.

Adam Idah scores from the spot. Hearts v Celtic, 23 November 2024. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Idah’s confidence in a Celtic jersey seemed shot and afterwards, reflecting on his time at Celtic, noted that there was a lot of hate he had to deal with up here.

So Celtic have sold the three goalscorers from the game at Tynecastle, taking in around £34m, or if you delete the Jota cash, £24m. Last night at St Mirren we had a left winger/striker on the right wing before that place was taken by Luke McCowan, a midfielder. Johnny Kenny played 45 minutes for Celtic last night and other than one wild sliced effort contributed nothing of note. And Sebastian Tounekti had plenty of the ball but again created very little.

Adam Idah celebrates. Hearts v Celtic, Scottish Premiership, Tynecastle. 23 November 2024. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Callum McGregor’s wonderful strike in the closing seconds won the match for Celtic but it’s pretty obviously that goals have been taken out of the team, a point that Brendan Rodgers continually made before his own exit at the end of last month.

Celtic’s video played at the rowdy AGM on Friday morning at Celtic Park boosted that the team had scored a record number of goals last season, including of course the four scored away against Hearts. That goalscoring record is unlikely to come under threat this season.

In January this has to be addressed with ‘goals’ being brought back into the team with multiple quality signing in the attacking areas of the team and with a new manager arriving and being given the tools to do the job.

Kyogo scores. Hearts v Celtic, 23 November 2024. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

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Last orders for Celtic in the Eighties by David Potter

Celtic in the Eighties and Willie Fernie – Putting on the Style both by David Potter. Photo The Celtic Star

Last remaining copies of Celtic in the Eighties – get your copy now before it’s too late! Here’s what you get…

Order Celtic in the Eighties from Celtic Star Books and we’ll automatically add Putting on the Style. Please note postage will only be charged on one book so there is no cost to you at all for the Willie Fernie biography.

These two books combined will make a brilliant Christmas present!

Danny McGrain signing copies of Celtic in the Eighties by David Potter. Photo: Celtic Star Books

Celtic in the Eighties by David Potter. Out now on Celtic Star Books. Order at celticstarbooks.com

Willie Fernie – Putting on the Style. Available at celticstarbooks.com

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