That’s 21 goals in 44 starts for Celtic. Liel Abada might be a winger but the youngster’s stats read like a prolific one-in-two striker. The Israeli has set a ridiculously high standard since arriving in Glasgow.
He has racked up six goals already this term – including a double against Rangers in the Old Firm derby – despite not being a first pick for gaffer Ange Postecoglou. Abada has been a revelation after making the move to Parkhead from Maccabi Petah Tikva in summer 2021. And, at just 20, he’s only going to get better for the Hoops.
After his first campaign with Celts he was already being linked with big-money transfers to the Premier League or elsewhere. Last week, after switching agents, Abada was having to reiterate how happy he is at Celtic – with pundits predicting that his future value could rise to £15million.
But to reach that level, Abada knows he has to do it for the Hoops in the Champions League. And so far in their Group F campaign, Celtic just haven’t been clinical enough.
In their last outing against Shakhtar Donetsk, they wasted several chances to take all three points. When Real Madrid visited Celtic Park for their glamour opening tie, Abada fluffed his lines early on by squandering a gilt-edged opportunity.
The Israel international has blanked it from his mind. But ahead of this week’s trip to Germany to face RB Leipzig, he’s determined to put it right. And Abada is putting extra work in to ensure his brilliant goal-to-game ratio continues.
He said: “I’ve played as a winger all my career so far but I really work on my finishing at training – and after training too. I stay to work on crosses and finishes.
“I want to help this team win points in every game. Hopefully I can keep scoring to help my team-mates. I look at players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Mo Salah, wingers who have taken scoring to a new level. I learn from them because they are the best in the world.
“It’s good to watch them and hopefully it will help me score goals and provide more assists. It was a good chance I had against Real Madrid. But I don’t think about it too much now.
“Sometimes in football you score, sometimes you miss. Hopefully next time I will score.
“In the last two Champions League games we have missed a lot of opportunities. So we need to focus 100 per cent, as well as playing our football, because in the Champions League if you don’t score it costs you.
“At this level, if you don’t do it, the other team will score. So we need to fully concentrate on that against Leipzig.”
Most young foreign players take time to adapt to Scottish football when they arrive from abroad. But it’s testament to Abada’s character that he hit the ground running from the moment Postecoglou brought him here.
In his first season he was helped by countryman Nir Bitton who left Parkhead this summer. And Abada will never forget the influence the experienced midfielder had on him before his departure.
He said: “I came from Israel and it can be difficult to be alone when you are so young.
“But from the first time I came to Celtic, all the coaches and players gave me the confidence I needed to succeed.
“Nir helped me a lot at the start. He looked after me, always. When I arrived I didn’t speak any English so Nir helped me with that.
“The language was difficult but he did everything for me. He made sure I felt good at all times and I had all I needed to be here. That really helped me last year. I’m really happy to be at Celtic and I hope it stays that way.”
The Parkhead faithful have taken Abada to their hearts. His knack of finding the net against Old Firm rivals Rangers has certainly helped with that.
And he endeared himself further this season when he bagged a brace against the Ibrox club and held up a T-shirt in celebration.
It had a picture of 14-year-old Hoops fan Leon Brown who tragically died after doing a TikTok online challenge.
Speaking for the first time about it, Abada said: “Before the game, the mum of the boy called an Israeli guy in Glasgow and he asked me if it was possible to do something.
“I was the kid’s favourite player, he loved me and they were big Celtic supporters. So I said, ‘Sure, no problem.’
“I thought about the T-shirt with the picture and after I scored against Rangers I wanted to show it to the fans.”
