Celtic must still look at Norwich City situation and think 'really?' | OneFootball

Teemu Pukki exploded onto the scene at Norwich, something which evaded Celtic fans years before

There hasn't been a better striker at Norwich City, or even in the entire Championship over the past decade, than Teemu Pukki.

The all-time leading scorer for the Finnish national team joined the Carrow Road-based outfit on a free transfer from Danish side Brondby ahead of the 2018/19 campaign, and for five years, the Norwich fans were treated to one of the best goalscorers in their history.

His 29-goal campaign in his debut season at Norwich was the highest-scoring Championship campaign since Glenn Murray's 30-goal season at Crystal Palace six years before, and that, plus 10 assists, too, shot the Canaries back to the Premier League after three years in the second tier.

Two years later, he'd follow that up with a 26-goal campaign as Daniel Farke once again led the Canaries to the second-tier title with his Finnish star leading the line.

But, even though his goalscoring prowess was emphasised in the Championship, and his two Premier League years ended in immediate relegation, he was never out of his depth in the English top flight, either.

Double-digit campaigns in 2019/20 and 2021/22 were solid returns, and early in his first season at the level, after a hat-trick in the second game of the season against Newcastle United, many felt that Norwich had one of the best strikers in England leading their line.

And while he never got to that level, he was still an incredible signing for Norwich, and one that still makes Celtic fans scratch their heads to this day.

Teemu Pukki was a flop at Celtic

Five years before Pukki would wind up at Carrow Road, Celtic brought the Finnish international to their club. He had big shoes to fill, replacing the departing Gary Hooper after a three-year spell where he scored 82 in 138 games. Coincidentally, he'd left to sign for Norwich.

The then-23-year-old was highly rated in 2013, having received a slight breakthrough at Bundesliga side Schalke. He was a mere squad player there, but did manage eight goals in 36 games across the two years at the club.

With the perceived level difference between a top European league in Germany and the Scottish Premiership, many felt that Pukki would excel, and he began his time at Celtic Park positively, netting off the bench on his league debut vs Hearts before then scoring in his first league start vs St Johnstone.

However, it would take him until December to score again for the Scottish giants, and when the Bhoys dipped back into the market that January for Wolves striker Leigh Griffiths, Pukki would barely get a sniff afterwards.

From deadline day until the end of the campaign, Pukki would start just once, scoring in the 3-3 draw with St Johnstone in the penultimate game of the season. He'd still come off the bench occasionally and score, but with Griffiths partnering Anthony Stokes up top, there wasn't much room for the Finnish frontman.

In the end, Pukki was never able to fill that void left by Hooper, but Griffiths did. In just 13 SPL games, the former Wolves frontman netted seven and provided nine assists, whereas in Pukki's 26, he scored seven and added an extra two assists.

Pukki was sent out on loan to Brondby the following summer and would make a permanent switch there following a productive year, where he ended up helping the Danish side to a third-placed finish, scoring a team-high 11 goals in all competitions.

From Brondby, he'd find his goalscoring knack, which he took to Norwich. The rest, they say, is history.

Celtic would end up regretting losing faith in Teemu Pukki so quickly

Towards the back end of Pukki's sole campaign at Celtic, there was no dislodging Stokes and Griffiths from the starting line-up, and with both in their mid-twenties, many felt that this could have been a strike partnership for the ages.

However, during the 2014/15 campaign, while the Finnish striker was away on loan, Stokes began to fall out of favour, while Griffiths was, admittedly, going from strength to strength. It wouldn't be long before he'd net 31 in 34 SPL games in one season, but imagine if he was doing that next to Pukki?

It was clear that Pukki just needed time to grow and develop, and while his incredible years at Norwich could have been down to the right environment, likely, he'd just reached the traditional 'prime years,' and that had been building throughout his time at Brondby, too.

Norwich would end up being the beneficiary of that, and luckily for Celtic, the 35-year-old is winding down his career being more well-known for being one of the best strikers the Championship has ever seen, rather than a Celtic Park flop.

But for those who do remember his one year in Scotland, it hurts them even more to have seen him flourish after leaving the club.