VIDAR RISETH insists Celtic have landed a BARGAIN in their £11million-plus capture of Danish hitman Kasper Riseth.
And the former Hoops star, who spent two years at Parkhead after joining from Austrian club LASK in 1998, revealed the Bodo/Glimt striker was determined to join Scotland’s title kings.
The fee will rise to over £11million with add-ons to top the previous best for Belgian playmaker Arne Engels who arrived from Bundesliga side Augsburg in August 2024.
The versatile Riseth, capped 52 times by Norway, reckons his old club have negotiated well in the transfer market to land the 25-year-old forward whose value he reckons is closer to £20million.
Fifty-four-year-old Riseth, now a media pundit in his homeland, said: “He’s a very good striker. He’s been showing now for many years that he is Champions League level, so this is a good signing for Celtic.
UP FOR THE CHALLENGE…Danish dangerman Kasper Hoch will welcome playing in front of crowds of 60,000 at Parkhead.
“Kasper has been the main man for Bodo/Glimt and has always been first choice.
“He’s been playing alone up front, but can also play alongside a partner. He can play in a 4-4-2 or 4-3-3 system. He scores in almost every game, whether it’s the Norwegian league or in the Champions League.
“I think he could have gone for more. There have been so many clubs interested in him.
“I know there have also been teams from Italy, Germany and Norway, but everybody understands that in Norway he’s too expensive.
“He has so much interest because he’s performed at the highest level in the Champions League. These days, the transfer numbers are crazy. Players are expensive.
“So, if you look at £11million, I would say that he would have gone for more. But when Celtic came up, he wanted to play for them, I know that.
“Kasper didn’t want to wait and bring all the other clubs up to each other and to get the price up because he wants to go to Celtic. He was clear about that.
“I think the price could be more, definitely. I would have expected him to go for around £16m-£20million.”
SILVERWARE CELT…Vidar Riseth holds aloft the League Cup after scoring in Celtic’s 2-0 win over Aberdeen at Hampden in March 2000.
Riseth, speaking to the Daily Record, continued: “Kasper’s a target striker, he’s strong and good in the air plus he can hold the ball and link up play.
“He’s also a hard worker with a lot of pace. He likes being in the box and he’s a clever striker.
“He has scored so many goals in the air for Bodo/Glimt. It’s like 50-50, the goals he’s scored with his head or with his feet. He will definitely score lots of goals for Celtic.
“I think all the players around him will score more goals, as well. If defenders don’t follow him, he will score. He will also give more space to the other players.
“At Celtic, they have good midfield players who want to come after into the box. So, I think there’s also going to be more space for the midfield players to come in and score goals.
“He’s also a leader. Captain Partick Berg and Kasper are the main players. If it’s not going so well during the game, they talk with all the players and get them on the track again. “
Hogh has spent the last two seasons playing in front of average home crowds of around 6,000 in the Arctic Circle, but Riseth has no doubts he will rise to the challenge of performing in front of a full house at Parkhead.
The ex-Celt added: “For him, it’s not new to play in front of 60,000 people. That’s normal for Bodo/Glimt. One week they play for 10,000 and next week they play for 60,000, 70,000 in the Champions League. I don’t think it’s going to be a problem for him.
OKAY, PARTNER…Camilo Duran is ready to dovetail with Kasper Hoch in the Celtic attack.
“But it’s a special atmosphere in Glasgow. I’m going to call and talk with him about what you can expect when you come to Glasgow.
“That is different from all other teams if you’re talking about the crowd and what they expect when you come to such a big club as Celtic. I think he will make it.
“This is a good step to go to a huge club like Celtic. I know he could go to Germany and also to Italy. If he does well, he’s a player who likes to stay as long as he can.
“But in the future, some other clubs will pick him up if he does so well. So, we will see.”
Celtic fans will be able to witness Hogh’s qualities for themselves when he lines up alongside Camilo Duran, the £5.5million recruit from Qarabag, when the champions kick off their pursuit of a sixth successive title against Dundee at Parkhead on Monday evening.
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