Callum Osmand said his dream comeback felt surreal after the young striker marked his return from a lengthy injury absence by playing a decisive role in Celtic’s title-clinching victory.
The 20-year-old had not featured since early November because of injury, but made an emotional return from the bench in the second half of Celtic’s dramatic 3-1 win over Hearts.
Introduced in the 73rd minute, Osmand immediately influenced the game by creating Daizen Maeda’s goal before netting himself with the final touch of the contest.
Speaking afterwards to Celtic TV, the forward struggled to contain his emotions.
“I’ve got no words,” he said. “It feels like my life is like a movie. This is unbelievable and I don’t think there’s a better club in the world.”
Osmand admitted the six-month rehabilitation process had tested him mentally as he watched from the sidelines for much of the campaign.
“I had six months and I wasn’t able to give anything and it was out of my hands, and it was really tough,” he explained. “But the lads have been unbelievable. I’ve just put the cherry on the cake. I’m so happy.”
The striker also revealed he initially feared wasting his opportunity when he broke clear in stoppage time before realising Hearts goalkeeper Alexander Schwolow was stranded out of position.
“To be honest, I thought there was a keeper in goal and I was just running, thinking I could make a mess this up,” he said. “But as soon as I saw there was no keeper my eyes lit up and I just started smiling. It was amazing.”
Osmand insisted the difficult spell had only strengthened his determination to succeed at Celtic.
“I love this club so much,” he added. “I’ve only been here a year – I wanted to give so much more this year but you can’t and it was out of my control.
“But I know what I can bring to the team and I was ready. I’ve worked hard and it wasn’t a fun six months, but this just makes it all worth it and the fans are just at another level. They’re the best in the world.”
Conor Spence
HAVE YOUR SAY – Join the Celtic conversation in our comments section below…
Quick Tip – Add Celticshorts.com as your ‘Preferred Source’ on Google News for quick access to the Celtic content you value the most. It takes just a few seconds and you’ll notice the difference straight away! – Click HERE….Hail Hail!
