Odin Thiago Holm could not wait to get away from Valerenga when the chance to join Celtic came along.

The 20-year-old midfielder became the Parkhead club’s first recruit of the 2023/24 season and the new Brendan Rodgers era last month when he signed a five-year deal.

The Norwegian had no hesitation when the opportunity to move to the Hoops arose.

He told CelticTV: “I didn’t really think, I just wanted to leave as soon as possible.

“It’s Champions League, you play to win every game, it’s a big club.

“It feels really nice, it’s a really big club.

“I don’t think people in Norway understand how big the club is, because Valerenga is a club from the capital with 10,000 for each game and here we have 60,000 so it’s a really big step.”

Holm, who has played for Norway at youth level up to under-20s, revealed his first meeting with new boss Rodgers was in Majorca during his holiday and he was suitably impressed – and now looks to impress the Celtic support.

He said: “I was on vacation in Majorca and I actually met him there in his house, so he seems like a very kind, humble guy with man-management and was easy to talk to and was open, so that was nice.

“His CV is very nice and he’s managed Celtic before – Liverpool, Swansea, Leicester – so you get a bit star-struck at first, but I’m looking forward to working with the manager.

“I think I’m a creative player that likes a bit of freedom to play on my instincts with the final pass, scoring goals, assists. I like to play as number eight or number 10 offensively.

“It’s not going to be easy. I want to perform and be part of the first XI after some time.

“I’m really excited to start and play for the fans.”