While Daizen Maeda might have found the back of the net on his Celtic debut, a fair share of strikers have failed to make their mark at Parkhead in recent years despite arriving with high expectations surrounding them. One such forward who didn’t hit the back of the net often enough for the Hoops is Vakoun Issouf Bayo and he has opened up about his time in Glasgow.
Bayo signed for the club back in January of 2019 from Dunajska Streda and there were hopes that he would continue his brilliant run of form. According to stats from Transfermarkt, he had scored 22 goals and provided 11 assists in 32 appearances for the Slovakian club.
Unfortunately, it did not work out for Bayo in the Hoops, with him finding the back of the net just twice, and injuries played a big part in disrupting his game time as well. He rarely started games, but you have to take your chances even as a substitute, which he did not.
A loan spell with Toulouse in France was followed by a permanent transfer to Belgian side, Gent, last summer. He has struggled there as well and is now on loan at Charleroi until the end of the season.
Bayo makes big claim about his failed Celtic stint
Bayo has opened up on why he feels things did not work out for him at Celtic. As reported by the Daily Record, he said:
"“At Celtic, I had a few injuries that delayed my career. I had to look elsewhere to get more playing time. That’s why I lack a bit of stability. But I know my qualities and I know that I can go further in my career.“Of course, I want to prove to Gent that they were wrong, but I won’t talk about revenge.“Let’s say that, previously, I worked with managers who didn’t necessarily trust me. It’s a matter of choice, but a striker needs confidence.”"
Bayo may be right to some extent, but at the same time, he may not have shown enough in training for the managers to give him more starts. Once again, one also has to consider his injury problems.
He has got another chance now at Charleroi to show what he can do. From a Celtic perspective, Bayo is another in a line of strikers who have struggled to meet expectations since joining the Hoops. Fortunately, the club have had better luck this season though, with Kyogo enjoying a tremendous start at Celtic and Maeda also scoring on his debut.