Celtic striker Adam Idah thought he would never play again in Cork as he looks forward to Páirc life

When Adam Idah left College Corinthians to sign for Norwich City, the Douglas native thought he would never play football again in his home county.

Now the striker is getting ready to take part in a landmark friendly between Cork City and his club Celtic at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

Idah can hardly believe it, especially after the Republic of Ireland women’s team visited last year and Denise O’Sullivan and Megan Connolly got to play in front of their friends and families.

“I didn’t ever actually think I’d play in Cork again,” he told The Echo.

“I think the last time I played here I was 15 or 16 at the Cross. To come back again will be amazing and hopefully, I can get a goal or two. It will be fantastic and it will be a great day.” 

Those words come in the middle of another successful season for the striker with Celtic.

It all started with a loan spell from Norwich, and that ended with a dramatic injury-time winner against Rangers in the Scottish Cup final at Hampden Park.

Idah was in the right place to deliver that say after Jack Butland spilled the ball, and his goal won the double for Celtic.

The forward kicked on after making the move permanent with his current haul including a strike in the UEFA Champions League that qualified the club for the knock-out stages for the first time since the 2012-13 season.

While it went down as an own-goal in the record books, the moment belongs to the boy that started out in the Cork Schoolboy Leagues with Corinthian Boys.

Idah now hopes that the friendly at the Páirc inspires the next generation, a group that is wearing his name to training in Castletreasure.

“It is weird to me because I’m just a normal guy from Douglas and I know everyone back home,” the striker talked about his role in the community.

“When I see the kids there, it is a big strange. Almost like I’m their idol. But it is fantastic. 

I was in their shoes at one stage and I was going up to watch all the Cork City games. I remember Colin Healy and then he is my coach at one stage. 

"I know the feeling. It will be really good for everyone to come out.” This won’t be the striker’s first time playing at the stadium, he once stood on the hallowed turf as a child.

“I’ve done City Sports and I’ve won here a couple of times so I have nice memories,” he said.

“I haven’t played any other sports here so having the chance to do it will create some nice memories.” 

What makes this even more special for Idah and those around him is the unique connection between Celtic and the Republic of Ireland.

Nowhere feels this more than Cork, the county that has produced former players Roy Keane, Liam Miller, Colin Healy, Eoghan O’Connell, and Saoirse Noonan. Some did not make it like Billy Morgan, who had trials with the Celtic in the early 1970s when the team was still managed by European Cup-winning manager Jock Stein.

COOL

Idah knows his history, and how important the green and white Hoops are on this side of the Irish Sea.

“It’ll be really cool – you are going to have the Celtic fans and the Cork fans,” he looked ahead at the game.

“It is going to be a pretty strange one because everyone will be supporting the both sides. It will be a fantastic day to hold the game and it will be really exciting.”