Celtic striker Kasper Hogh has opened up on his move from Bodo/Glimt in the summer, discussing his previous battle with anxiety.
Hogh joined Celtic on a £9million deal that could yet rise to a club-record fee if certain add-ons are met. He started well, scoring a hat-trick, but his form has suffered since then, leading to some appearances on the bench.
The Dane has been clumsy in front of goal, and while at his best he offers plenty in build-up play, he hasn't managed to offer it consistently of late.
Celtic have struggled as a collective, which certainly doesn't help, but either way, Hogh will want to get back to scoring form when he returns from international duty with Denmark.
“It’s been a huge experience. Celtic is a huge club," Hogh said, as cited by SunSport. "Everything is just bigger. There are more fans and there are more people watching you.
“Of course, it’s always difficult to move to a new country, but this is really good for my development as a person. When I had to make the leap from Denmark to Norway, I had problems because of the anxiety that was deep inside me.
“But now I’m in a completely different situation. I’ve found peace in God, I have a wonderful girlfriend who has moved in with me, and I still have great support from my family and friends.
“I was also ready to experience something new. I wanted to get out of my comfort zone. And that’s why this change is perfect for me right now.”
Hogh has looked out of his comfort zone of late, and Martin O'Neill is going to have to look at ways of getting him back to his best form. He looked full of confidence in his hat-trick game, which was his second for the club, but we haven't seen that kind of confidence since.
Hogh is rarely picking up the ball, looking to turn and run at goal. Everything has been pass off to a teammate, and he just hasn't been in those dangerous positions he is expected to be in.
But it's still early in his time at the club, and it will certainly help him when Celtic are functioning better as a team. The return of Yang Hyun-jun will also help balance out of the attack, with the winger's early departure for international duty changing the look of the Celtic front line for the worse.
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