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Adam Idah reveals Celtic shock as he wanted OUT of first Rangers clash after 10 minutes and now eyeing Hampden repeat
Adam Idah admits his League Cup baptism of fire was one to forget at Norwich after scoring an own goal as Crawley Town pulled off a memorable giant-killing act.
The Celtic striker delivers a wince when recalling his Canaries debut at Broadfield Stadium – a second-round 1-0 Carabao Cup loss that proved to be a bittersweet experience. That memory from 2019-20 is a far cry from Sunday afternoon's Old Firm final at Hampden. The 23-year-old is licking his lips at the prospect of creating more history in Mount Florida.
Idah endeared himself to Hoops fans by scoring a Scottish Cup Final winner against Rangers last season so he insists he’s seen both sides of the coin in completions in both England and Scotland. He said: “I had a shocker of a game when we lost to Crawley. I scored an own goal but it was a good experience. The atmosphere was decent and it was my debut, so it was a big day for me, a special moment.
“These cup games are magical. You see it all the time and it makes a great day for everyone. That’s what I’ve experienced in these cups. I’ve had it previously with Norwich when we’ve beaten the likes of Tottenham. These cup days are special. And it will be special again especially against Rangers. A big derby, a tough game – so it’s exciting.”
A return to the national stadium will rekindle happy memories of Idah’s 90th-minute intervention against the Light Blues last May. He can’t wait to try and repeat the feat to help the Hoops land the Premier Sports Cup and the first silverware of the season.
Idah said: “It’s exciting. This is my first final in this competition so I’m looking forward to it.
“The Scottish Cup Final was obviously an amazing day. It was a tough game, and we probably didn’t play to our best. But the way the game ended was probably the best way you could win. Overall it was fantastic and the experience was great.
“That’s what our group is really good at. We’ve experienced games before where we’ve probably not played our best but we’ve dug deep and managed to get the win. We’re looking forward to the challenge again.”
Idah admits he always kept a keen eye on Celtic’s fortunes while at Norwich. And a Hoops win against their Old Firm rivals would always be an opportunity to get one up on some Canary team-mates, Kenny McLean and Grant Hanley.
He said: “I’ve watched all the games. There were a couple of Rangers fans at Norwich. We’d sit and watch the games together. Me and Shane Duffy would be celebrating in front of them. These games are special and I’m sure everyone will be tuning in. It’s a big day for everyone and the atmosphere is unbelievable. In my first game at Ibrox the biggest shock was the intensity.
“I remember after 10 minutes I wanted to come back off. I couldn’t breathe. But I scored and it was a great day. The derby is a huge game and watched all over the world. When you’re playing in them, you can tell it’s a different class.”
The Republic of Ireland international has had to content himself with a supporting role from the bench for large parts of this season. But he’s adamant Celtic are a stronger force this term that the side which claimed a double last term.
He said: “A lot of new boys have come in and I think we’ve improved a lot. Everyone can see the way we’ve started this season has being excellent. And we’re still striving to do better. We’re a good group and I think we’re doing quite well.”
Rangers have hit a run of form in recent weeks that culminated in an impressive draw with Tottenham in the Europa League at Ibrox on Thursday night. Idah admits he didn’t watch the clash but knows it will be a tough challenge against their biggest rivals.
He said: “No, I didn’t see the game. Obviously I’ve seen the results. Like I said, they’ve been doing well recently. They’re always going to be tough opponents. This game is a big occasion. They’ve been doing well but so have we. We’ve been doing great so it will be a good challenge and it’s one I’m looking forward to it.”
The popular hitman is thrilled to be back in Glasgow after making his loan move permanent in the summer and adapting to being recognised both on and off the pitch. He said: “I’ve kind of got used to it now.
“Celtic are a massive club with supporters in all parts of the world. I’m always bumping into Celtic fans. You hear it all the time. There’s people meeting Celtic fans in the Bahamas and all sorts of places. You get support from everywhere and it’s unbelievable wherever you go. There’s always fans there, so it’s great.”
