Flashscore spoke with Ryan McDonald of Scotland's Daily Record about Hogh and how he fits the requirements for Martin O'Neill's side ahead of the upcoming season, and the immense expectations that await the former Bodo/Glimt player at Celtic Park.
Despite Celtic clinching the 2025/26 Scottish Premiership title, by defeating Hearts 3-1 in dramatic fashion, the club faced a prominent and heavily-discussed striker shortage throughout the season.
A lack of consistency and natural depth in the central attacking position were primary problems for the Scottish champions as the team frequently lacked an out-and-out, elite fox-in-the-box striker who would stay fit and shoulder the domestic and European burdens.
Celtic sold Kyogo Furuhashi in January 2025, and Swedish midfielder Benjamin Nygren was forced to carry the heaviest goalscoring load, finishing as the club’s top scorer with 21 goals in all competitions.
Daizen Maeda, who was signed by Ipswich Town in July, was frequently utilised centrally to cover the gap, and while he contributed an admirable 14 league goals, former managers and pundits openly voiced concerns that playing wingers through the middle left Celtic short.
73 goals last season was the lowest total for Celtic since the 2017/18 campaign. The Scottish champions underperformed their expected goals (xG) of 80.94, missed 84 big chances, and the lack of firepower up front led to huge protests against the Celtic Board, says Ryan McDonald to Flashscore.
"The board has been criticised for their transfer failings in their last three or four windows. They failed to properly support Brendan Rodgers last season, which led to the humiliating Champions League play-off exit to Kairat Almaty, a team that had never played in the competition before," he said.
"So that was a massive blow to the aspirations for the season, and that led to fan protests pretty much throughout the whole season."
"The fans and the team have been crying out for a new striker ever since Celtic sold Kyogo to Rennes about 18 months ago. They hadn't really signed a replacement in that period and left an enormous void up front.
"There was a massive disharmony, a massive disconnect between the fans and the boardroom, and it really soured the entire season."
Celtic will begin their 2026/27 UEFA Champions League campaign in the play-off round, with the first leg scheduled for the 18th or 19th of August, so the Celtic board has been under significant pressure to find a key striker in time, and McDonald is now confident that they have found the right man for the job in the form of Bodo/Glimt's Kasper Hogh.
"He's a player who comes in with a real pedigree. A really exciting track record. A prolific track record. He's a hugely exciting signing. I think, definitely, from what I've heard when I have spoken to former teammates and Norwegian pundits, Kasper Hogh is certainly a penalty-box striker.
"When you spend £11m, and you hand him the number nine shirt, he's going to be the first-choice striker," said McDonald.
Hogh, who is expected to form a striker partnership up front with Camilo Duran, who has been signed from Qarabag for £6m, finished last season as Bodo/Glimt's top scorer with 17 league goals in 28 matches, helping them secure second in the Norwegian top flight.
He also went on to score five goals in the Champions League, including a legendary first-half brace in a 3-1 upset over Manchester City and a crucial strike away to Atletico Madrid, which earned him his first senior call-up and debut for the Danish national team in March.
Having arrived in Glasgow with a massive £11 million price tag, expectations will be at an all-time high at Celtic for the Dane to deliver, but McDonald is confident that Hogh will be everything Celtic fans are hoping for.
"He leads by example on the pitch. He's a popular personality off the pitch and in the changing room. So I don't think he strikes me as the type of character that is going to buckle under the sort of pressure of that price tag," he said.
"Obviously, it's a big jump coming from playing in front of (up to) 8,000 fans at Bodo/Glimt to suddenly playing in front of 60,000 passionate fans at Celtic Park.
"But I spoke to Vidar Riseth, a former Celtic player, who is now a Norwegian TV pundit. He made the point that Kasper is used to this because he has played in some of the biggest arenas in European football for Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League, where he has scored.
"So I think Kasper will quickly settle at Celtic Park and once he gets that first goal under his belt, I'm pretty sure he'll start scoring goals."
Scandinavian players have a long, successful history of adapting quickly and thriving in Scottish football, driven by cultural similarities, a strong work ethic, and a welcoming club environment, with Brian Laudrup, Henrik Larsson, Kristoffer Ajer, and Erik Sviatchenko just a few examples of players who settled well into the Scottish football.
"I think Celtic have a pretty decent track record for signing Scandinavian players," added McDonald. "Having guys like Cal McGregor, James Forrest, and Kieran Tierney in the dressing room, there won't be any issues with settling in. I think Hogh will be welcomed with open arms.
"Sviatchenko's name is etched in Celtic folklore. That's one of the biggest achievements in Scottish football history. If Hogh can do half as well as Erik, who won a treble with Celtic, and went a full-league season unbeaten, they will be singing Hogh's name forever at Celtic Park."