Callum Osmand

That rule no longer applies. The Channel Islands are now considered to be tied to England unless a player can prove heritage to a different country. Tough for Osmand especially considering he had played for Wales at both U16 and U17 level. But unless he can prove Welsh or Scottish heritage he is no longer eligible.

 

So he can play in the Europa League if we replace a long term injured player. No Brainer. Get him in.

 

Shaun Maloney believes Callum Osmand has already developed a 'bond' with interim manager Martin O'Neill after a whirlwind week at Celtic.


Osmand scored an extra-time goal to kill off Sunday's 3-1 Scottish League Cup semi-final victory against Rangers at Hampden. A week prior, he hadn't even made his debut.

Maloney has now provided insight into how the teenager came to the fore, knowing from the off that O'Neill would 'love' what he had to offer.

The interim first-team coach said of Osmand in a new interview with club media on Tuesday, "Look, even some of the physical stuff, like the way that he's trained over the last three or four months, how hard he's trained. He was ready for this opportunity.





"I think when we're discussing the bench and between him and Shin [Yamada], and Shin's definitely got attributes as well that can help this team. But Stephen [McManus] has worked with Callum, we've all seen him now train, and he's now getting to a point where you can't really hold him back. Then it's how the boy takes the actual opportunity.

"I knew with Martin, coming on Tuesday night when I met him for dinner to go through the squad and the players, I knew he would love Callum. He's the exact type of striker that the manager would like. And yeah, you can sense that sort of bond between the manager and Callum already, that he feels his trust."

Maloney went on to explain the most satisfying aspect of Osmand's close-range goal against Rangers from a coaching perspective, having watched the emerging striker win the ball back before finishing off Kieran Tierney's low cross.

Maloney said, "I think to actually then go and produce a massive moment like that in the semi-final against your biggest rivals, not many people are able to do that.

"The best part of that goal was actually, he took a really bad touch about 10 seconds before he scores and he had the aggression to go and win it back, and it was probably that throughout the team that I really enjoyed.

"We're going to make mistakes, we try passes, we're going to lose, but the aggression to win it back, and sort of that one moment of Callum to do that, was one of my favourites from the game on Sunday, to make a mistake and just show aggression to win it back."




Osmand is not yet officially registered to be part of Celtic's Europa League squad. However, it's believed the club are considering utilising a rule that would allow him to take part against Midtjylland and the rest of the club's League Phase fixtures.

Cameron Carter-Vickers is out with a long-term injury, which means that Celtic have the chance to de-register the USA international and include another previously unregistered member of the squad thanks to new UEFA rules introduced this season.

 

Amazing how fickle football is as a career. Sliding doors moment for him with Rodgers leaving, and he could now be looking at a run in the starting XI.

 

Aye he’ll defo get a good run in the team now

 

Was excited by him when we signed him at the time, his clips for Fulham (albeit in PL2) showed great movement and natural striker finishing. It's actually criminal that he's been nowhere near the first team.

So chuffed for him.

 

Celtic forward Callum Osmand is intent on building on a “dream” start to his senior career after capitalising on a show of faith from caretaker boss Martin O’Neill.

The 19-year-old Welshman has had to be patient since arriving in the summer from Fulham after being unable to get any game time under previous manager Brendan Rodgers.

But after making his senior debut as a late substitute in O’Neill’s first match in interim charge against Falkirk last Wednesday, Osmand marked his second appearance by scoring the Hoops’ third goal in their 3-1 extra-time win over Rangers in Sunday’s Premier Sports Cup semi-final.

“It’s been crazy,” Osmand said, as he spoke at the opening of Celtic’s new flagship store in central Glasgow on Tuesday. “It’s just been a dream come true.

“It’s been what I’ve been working for my whole life, to play in these sort of games, so it’s hard to put into words. But that’s what I want to keep doing, keep playing. It really gives you that boost to keep pushing.

“Obviously Sunday was just a start, though. I don’t want to get too ahead of myself, because as quickly as it can become good, it can also go on the downside as well. I’ve just got to keep my head down and keep working. But obviously it’s a great start for me, I’m really happy.




I can’t thank the staff enough. Martin and then obviously there’s been Shaun (Maloney) and Mark Fotheringham and a few others. They’ve all just been so supportive and good with me. There’s no words I can say to thank them enough.”

Osmand joined Celtic on a four-year contract in June. He admitted it was “tough” being on the periphery of Rodgers’ squad earlier in the season but is delighted at how things are shaping up for him overall.

“It wasn’t easy,” he said of his early months at Celtic. “Obviously it’s tough not being in squads, it sort of feels like you’re, not an outsider, but it feels like you’re not giving as much as you want to give. But hopefully now I can just keep pushing on.

“I wasn’t really too sure on what to expect when I came up here. But if you’d told me a year ago that I’d be doing what I am now, I would have been so happy, even if I wasn’t playing.

“I was just going to come in and obviously if I’d played, I would have been happy. If I didn’t play, then I knew it might take some time.


I’m just happy where I am at the moment. Hopefully I can keep playing, keep chipping away and just see where that takes me.”

Osmand was not included in Celtic’s initial Europa League squad but the club have the option of enlisting him in place of long-term injury victim Cameron Carter-Vickers ahead of Thursday’s clash with Midtjylland in Denmark.

“Obviously that’s not my decision,” said the striker. “Europe is the biggest stage, so I would love to play in those sort of games, but that’s not my say.”