Joel Mvuka Seals Permanent Return to Bodo/Glimt

Joel Mvuka has drawn a firm line under his brief Celtic chapter and gone back to the club where his career first caught fire – and he knows exactly why he needs the move.

The 23-year-old winger has signed a four-year deal with Bodo/Glimt, returning to the Norwegian champions after a loan spell at Celtic that never really got going. He arrived in Glasgow from Lorient with pace and promise, but left with only a handful of minutes and the feeling of a chance missed.

His Celtic story was over almost before it began.

• One start, in the Scottish Cup against Dundee.
• One cameo off the bench in a Glasgow derby, as Celtic beat Rangers in the same competition.

No Premiership appearances. No real rhythm. Then, back to Lorient in the summer.

Now he is back in familiar surroundings, at a club where he previously thrived and felt at home, and he is open about the gap in his game: he needs to play.

“I haven't played very much, but I feel like I have gained good experience even though I didn't get to play many games,” Mvuka said in an interview carried by The National. “I can take that experience with me. I have also become older and more experienced and I have returned as a better player.

“It's great to be back. I'm doing well and have improved since I was last here.

“I had a pretty good time in Glimt. I made a lot of friends, had a good time both on and off the field. That's something I took into account when coming back.

“I've been following Bodo/Glimt since I left and I've seen that they've become a much better team.

“It would have been cool to get into the league phase of the Champions League two years in a row. It's a good match between me and the club.”

For Mvuka, the equation is simple now. After a stop-start year that never truly sparked at Celtic, Bodo/Glimt offer him what he has been missing: regular football, a defined role, and a stage he already knows how to use.