PATRYK KLIMALA joined a worrying list of flop strikers after arriving at Celtic in a £3.5million deal from Jagiellonia Białystok in January 2020.
The Polish striker, then 22 years old, came with a growing reputation as one of the up-and-coming young forwards in Europe.
There were high hopes for Klimala who, admittedly, would not have been helped to settle into a new country in the midst of the Covid pandemic.
DEBUT BHOY…Patryk Klimala makes his first Celtic appearance in a 2-1 Scottish Cup win over Partick Thistle at Firhill on January 18 2020.
On the field, though, he showed little of the form that persuaded Neil Lennon to part with a sizeable sum for his striking prowess.
Klimala made two appearances in his debut campaign and fired blanks in both. He had to wait for the Premiership 2020/21 kick-off before getting on the scoresheet in a 5-1 win over Hamilton Accies at Parkhead in early August.
The Hoops topped the league after Day One of the new term, but, alas, they were way off the pace by the end of the crusade as their quest for 10 in a row ended in ruins.
Klimala came off the substitutes’ bench to rifle a low drive past Accies keeper Ryan Fulton to join hat-trick ace Odsonne Edouard and Jeremie Frimpong in the goal parade.
He claimed only two more strikes in 28 appearances and, after just 15 months, his career in the east end of Glasgow was over.
OOPS…Patryk Klimala covers his face as he misses another chance.
Klimala joined New York Red Bulls where he claimed 14 goals in 62 outings before moving to Israel to sign for Hapoel Be’er Sheva in January 2023 on a three-and-a-half-year deal.
However, the contract was cancelled by mutual consent in October and he returned to his homeland with Slask Wrocław three months later.
After 11 games, Klimala was still waiting for his first goal.
* TOMORROW: Don’t miss the adventures of another former Celt in CQN’s EXCLUSIVE series.
