“It’s been tough. Glasgow is a tough city,” Odin Thiago Holm

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The Celtic Star

·7 April 2026

“It’s been tough. Glasgow is a tough city,” Odin Thiago Holm

Odin Thiago Holm has admitted his spell at Celtic has been joyless since arriving at the club in 2023…

Odin Thiago Holm of Valerenga with fans after the cup football match between Rade and Valerenga on May 25, 2023 in Rade. Photo: Vegard Grott / BILDBYRAN

The Norwegian midfielder moved to Glasgow with high expectations but has found it difficult to make a consistent impact. Over the past three years, opportunities have been limited for Holm and he has been unable to establish himself in the first team.

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A loan switch to Los Angeles FC also failed to deliver the regular minutes he was seeking, while injury setbacks – most notably an ankle issue – have further disrupted his progress during spells under Brendan Rodgers and, more recently, Martin O’Neill.

Brendan Rodgers, Manager of Celtic, shakes hands with Odin Thiago Holm of Celtic after the Scottish Premiership victory against theRangers and at Ibrox on September 03, 2023. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Once regarded as one of Norway’s brightest emerging talents, the 23-year-old has featured just 16 times across all competitions for Celtic, highlighting his struggles to break through.

Holm recently completed a late loan return to his former club Valerenga, where he began his professional career.

Upon rejoining, he was quick to express his enthusiasm for being back in Norway, contrasting it with the challenges he faced both in Glasgow and during his time in Major League Soccer.

20th August 2023 Rugby Park, Kilmarnock, Scotland: Scottish Viaplay Cup Football, Kilmarnock versus Celtic Odin Thiago Holm of Celtic beats Marley Watkins of Kilmarnock in the air. Photo Vagelis Georgariou

Speaking via VG Podcast, 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. 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.”

Referee Irfan Peljto gives the red card to Odin Thiago Holm during the UEFA Champions League match between Feyenoord and Celtic FC at Feyenoord Stadium de Kuip on September 19, 2023 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. ANP OLAF KRAAK

One of the most memorable moments during his time at Celtic came on his Champions League debut, when he was sent off against Feyenoord. However, he did manage to find the net during a rare start in a deeper midfield role, scoring in a Scottish Cup tie at home to Buckie Thistle in January 2025.

Jota with the Scottish Cup after Celtic’s June 2023 victory over Inverness Caley Thistle at Hampden. Photo Vagelis Georgariou

Holm was signed by Celtic in summer 2023 as part of the Mark Lawwell spending spree ahead of the return of Brendan Rodgers where effectively the £25m received from the ‘windfall’ sale of Jota to Saudi Arabia was squandered by some world class recruitment from those insider the Celtic boardroom.

Conor Spence

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