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Celtic are already brewing the perfect player to steal Hogh's No.9 shirt

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Published Oct 4, 2026, 8:10 AM GMT+1

Robbie is the Assistant Editor at Football FanCast, specialising in football analysis, transfer coverage and feature writing, with particular expertise in Manchester United, Celtic, Rangers and the wider Premier League and Scottish football.

A sports journalist since graduating from the University of Exeter in 2020, Robbie has spent more than six years covering professional football across the Premier League, EFL, SPFL and European competitions. His career has included news and feature work for 90min and more than a year covering the Premier League and Manchester United in particular at Football Faithful.

Robbie joined Football FanCast through the site's academy programme in 2022, progressing to the Exclusives team before becoming Assistant Editor in October 2023. His work combines original reporting, transfer insight, football analysis and informed feature writing, with a particular focus on understanding the context behind the latest news and what developments mean for clubs, managers and players.

He has developed extensive knowledge of Manchester United, Celtic and Rangers through regular coverage, while also bringing a broad understanding of the Premier League, EFL and Scottish football. His experience covering the game extends beyond the page, with a long-standing connection to Wycombe Wanderers that has seen him attend home and away matches for more than two decades.

Through his reporting and analysis, Robbie provides readers with credible football insight, informed transfer assessment and detailed coverage that goes beyond the headline, drawing on years of experience following clubs and competitions at close range.

Having been heavily linked back in January, prior to signing for a club-record fee this summer, expectations have unsurprisingly been high for Kasper Hogh at Celtic.

The Dane had proven prolific back at Bodo/Glimt, notably starring in the Champions League last season as part of the club's surge to the quarter-final stage, netting a brace against Manchester City in the Arctic Circle.

103 goals with the Norwegian outfit yielded 54 goals, yet it's proven a rather slow start since in Glasgow, the 25-year-old yet to score outside of the trip to Kilmarnock.

Just nine games into his Bhoys career, Hogh still has plenty of time to turn things around in front of goal, yet should those at Parkhead already be getting a little concerned?

Why Hogh might not be Celtic's long-term striker solution

Having sold Kyogo Furuhashi back in January 2025, prior to letting Adam Idah depart late in the day last summer, the Scottish champions had long been crying out for a statement striker signing.

The likes of Shin Yamada, Johnny Kenny, Callum Osmand, Tomas Cvancara and Junior Adamu scored just over ten goals between them in all competitions in a Celtic shirt last season, while the injury-prone Kelechi Iheanacho chipped in with nine amid his string of cameo appearances.

Splashing the cash on a figure like Hogh was certainly needed then, although the Scandinavian didn't exactly make the best first impression, missing a handful of chances on debut against Dundee.

He looked to have turned a corner with his subsequent, quick-fire hat-trick at Rugby Park, although captain Callum McGregor was right to be heading caution so soon into the new season, the 33-year-old not letting Hogh and Auston Trusty get carried away in the aftermath of that thumping win.

Injury has been a factor since then, but to have drawn a blank in eight of his nine appearances so far makes for grim reading, even if service from the flanks has been a little wayward at times.

Player

Big Chances Missed

Goals

Benjamin Nygren	6	3
Tawanda Maswanhise	6	1
Jacob Murrell	5	1
Yang Hyun-Jun	4	2
Greg Kiltie	4	1
Kasper Høgh	4	3
Joe Westley	4	3
Nathan Lowe	4	1
Camilo Durán	3	3
Ryan Don Naderi	3	2

It's fair to say that Celtic looked more dynamic during Camilo Duran's brief stint at centre-forward instead, the Colombian scoring three goals against Falkirk and Aberdeen.

Perhaps thrusting Duran in ahead of Hogh should be the solution in the short term, yet for the long term, why not look to the academy instead?

Celtic are already brewing the perfect Hogh replacement

For all the success regarding McGregor, James Forrest and Kieran Tierney, the academy ranks have almost become a moot point at Celtic in recent times.

So often, the club have seen their brightest and best plucked by Premier League clubs in their teenage years, the sale of Ben Gannon-Doak to Liverpool marking the obvious case in point.

There's a helplessness to losing such talents, having seen Scotland U16 skipper, Dara Jikiemi, also head to Anfield this summer, with something needing to change sooner rather than later.

Of course, Celtic's men in the dugout could arguably be more willing to put faith in the youth set-up, with there certainly youngsters worth taking a punt on, including the likes of Lucas Clearie.

Still only 17, Clearie has been in prolific form for Celtic's 'B' team of late, the Scotland U19 striker really taking his game to the next level in 2026/27 so far.

In total, his overall record at that level stands at 18 goals in 33 games, yet that includes a return of 15 goals in just 13 outings so far this season.

Ten of those have come in ten Lowland League appearances, alongside registering two assists, while he's scored in all three Challenge Cup games, notching five times in that competition already.

A first-team chance hasn't yet come on a competitive basis, although Clearie did score a brace in Friday's behind-closed-doors clash with Falkirk at Lennoxtown.

That fixture was set to be all about the return of Jota from injury, yet the sight of Clearie scoring both goals in the 2-0 win has certainly raised eyebrows, particularly with Hogh currently off the boil.

The young Scot had previously signed his first professional contract with the club back in 2025, with Celtic needing to ensure they don't lose yet another rising star to the Premier League later down the line.

Of course, having brought in fellow teenager, Shim Mheuka, on loan, Clearie's route to game time in the short-term looks a little blocked, but O'Neill and co should be keeping him under consideration heading into 2027.

There's also the fact of Clearie's inclusion on Celtic's B list for the Europa League, something which could prove useful amid Mheuka's omission and Osmand's long-standing injury woes.

Perhaps the homegrown goal machine will be seen in first-team action soon enough, with Hogh needing to be wary that his number nine jersey could be under threat before too long.

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