Shunning ‘club signings’ like Osmand a huge mistake on Brendan’s part | OneFootball

Callum Osmand produced the most memorable moment of his career to date by scoring the third goal in yesterday’s 3-1 Premier Sports Cup semi-final win over theRangers and boy did he enjoy, or as Martin O’Neill put it, milk the moment. And quite right too son!

Callum Osmand celebrates with the Celtic supporters after the match. Celtic v theRangers. Premier Sports Cup, semi final at Hampden. 2 November 2025. Photo AJ (The Celtic Star)

The former Fulham U21 striker has had to bide his time to make an impact on the first team after arriving in the summer on a free transfer, a move that was heralded very much as a coup at the time.

Unfortunately for Callum, he found himself cast to one side, training with the youths and devoid of any first team involvement, for reasons that are unknown. Was he one of the players signed over the head of Brendan? Was Brendan sending a message the same way he’d been doing with Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, Shin Yamada and Hayato Inamura?

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Callum Osmand scores. Celtic v theRangers. Premier Sports Cup, semi final at Hampden. 2 November 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Whatever the reasoning behind it, Callum has been given a clean slate under the interim leadership of Martin O’Neill and Shaun Maloney, and he’s made the most of it as he introduced himself on the big stage by scoring a decisive goal in yesterday’s 3-1 extra time win over theRangers at Hampden, which caused a mass exodus from theRangers crowd.

Callum Osmand scores. Celtic v theRangers. Premier Sports Cup, semi final at Hampden. 2 November 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

It’s clear that Brendan Rodgers didn’t rate of had some sort of a problem with Callum, or the collective sub-group of summer recruits that he’d labelled as ‘club signings’.

However what seems perfectly clear is the Osmand has talent, can get himself into great positions, is fast and is a handful for defenders. He has us that in the last two games as he’s been deemed worthy of a place in the squad by Martin O’Neill.

Was it unfair of Brendan to cast aside him and the other ‘club signing’ players so hastily? I think we’re slowly unravelling the answer to that question.

Shin Yamada & Hayato Inamura of Celtic step off the team bus at Celtic Park. Celtic v Livingston, Scottish Premiership, Celtic Park, 23 August 2025. Stuart Wallace IMAGO/Shutterstock

Hayato Inamura got a game against Livingston at the start of the season an played very well. Rather than encouraging this the then Celtic manager pointed out that he was okay against a Livingston team parking the bus but wasn’t ready for bigger challenges against teams who would come at Celtic more.

That seemed harsh at the time and it’s a negative outlook that ultimately contributed to Brendan’s earlier than expected exit a week ago this evening.

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

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

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