THERE was a hint of Saturday Night Fever in Indiana as Luis Palma displayed some neat dance moves after netting the third goal in the 4-1 win over Chelsea.
The Honduran bamboozled a defender with a sway of his hips to fashion the opportunity which he tucked low past the helpless Robert Sanchez – and then the winger cleared a barrier to go through his latest goalscoring salsa routine.
The Hoops fans in the packed Notre Dame Stadium lapped it up as their favourites trounced the mesmerised Stamford Bridge outfit with Matt O’Riley, Kyogo Furuhashi and Mikey Johnston adding to their joy with the other strikes.
Palma, who claimed 12 goals and 12 assists in his debut campaign after his £3.5million arrival from Greek top-flight club Aris Thessaloniki, also tucked one away in the 4-3 victory over Manchester City and he promises there is more to come.
BY THE LEFT…Luis Palma prepares to stroke home Celtic’s third goal against Chelsea – to spark his new dance routine.
Reflecting on the champions’ three wins in three games in America, the tricky left-sided attacker said: “It has been very good.
“It was important for me to build confidence for the new season, but to play in front of so many Honduran fans was really special.
“I’m glad I could give them some good performances and score a couple of goals. They got to see me dance! I do like to dance so maybe I can do it some more this season.
“I managed to score some goals last year, but I hope I can get more this year – and maybe some more dancing.
“I was a little bit surprised there were so many Hondurans at the games, but you could see the number of fans of Celtic out there.
“It is nice to play for the Honduran people, though, and show it’s possible to play at a high level and for a club like Celtic. It’s a big motivation for me.”
THE WINNER…Luis Palma tucks away Celtic’s final goal in the 4-3 victory over Manchester City.
Palma, speaking to the Daily Record, continued: “It was great fun. As a team, we showed a lot of character against Chelsea and now we are looking forward to the new season.
“The results and performances in America have given us a lot of confidence. It’s all good. We’ve had some good tests and we’ve shown we can compete against these teams.
“It was a good experience for us. We were very motivated to do well and they were very good games. The manager believes there is more to come and he is right.
“It has been great, but there is always space to improve and things to work on as individuals and as a team. I know I need to work to improve my individual displays.
“There’s a lot of competition for places. It’s all about the work.
“I have to work every single day if I want to be in the team. It is down to the manager and whether I am starting or a substitute, I’ll try my best to prepare myself to help my team-mates.
“It was a big change for me coming to Scotland and there has been something to learn from every game. The manager and coaches have given me a lot of instructions and I am keen to learn.”
HIGH FIVES…Luis Palma and Matt O’Riley celebrate the midfielder’s goal against Hearts at Tynecastle in October which was set up by the Honduran winger in the 4-1 win.
Palma is also hoping wanted man Matt O’Riley is not lure from the champions – and he has come up with a novel idea to make sure the Denmark international playmaker stays put.
He added: “Matt is a phenomenal player. It’s a pleasure to play alongside him as he shows his character in every game. He is amazing.
“There is a lot of talk about him, but he does not let it affect him. He is very motivated to play with Celtic and he works hard every day.
“We don’t know what will happen, but I know he’s happy to be here and, hopefully, he can stay for this season.
“We will lock him in the cupboard until the transfer window closes – I will keep the key!”
HATATE, O’RILEY, LAGERBIELKE AND WELSH TRANSFER UPDATE
