There have been many Celtic players that have split the supporters over the years concerning public opinion.

Immediately, the likes of Georgios Samaras, and Mohamed Elyounoussi spring to mind – forwards that scored big goals for their team, yet were polarising figures to those in attendance thanks to their mixed performances when plying their trade for the club. Indeed, this seems to be the case with current winger Luis Palma, who has endured a rough start to his second season at Celtic under Brendan Rodgers.

Signed from Aris FC in Greece in the 2023 summer transfer window, Palma was brought to Scotland as a direct replacement for Jota, who had left Celtic to join Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League for £25 million. A pricey £3.5 million outlay for the club, Palma was tasked with competing with the likes of Daizen Maeda, Mikey Johnston, Yang Hyun-jun and James Forrest in the wide areas, with the move enabling him to play at a higher level both for Celtic in Europe and for Honduras more regularly internationally.

The initial signs looked good. Scoring in his third appearance for the club – a late strike versus Motherwell at Fir Park – he would follow that up with a long-range effort versus Kilmarnock at home. Scoring and assisting both domestically and in European competition, Palma looked like a bit of a coup for Celtic, directly contributing to the club’s attacking options on the left, though occasionally shifting to the opposite side when required.

Despite being unlucky with a late winner versus Lazio being harshly called offside thanks to VAR’s intervention in the Champions League, Palma netted against both Atletico Madrid and Feyenoord – the latter coming from the penalty spot. He could mix it with the big boys, but alas, this form would not last.

Indeed, the goals and assists would dry up following the international break. Not helped by a muscle injury that sidelined him for a few weeks at the business end of the season, the 16-times capped Honduras international would play a bit-part role – similar to the situation he currently finds himself in. He scored a late winner on Trophy Day versus St Mirren to end the league campaign on a personal high, though did not make it off the bench the following week against Rangers in the Scottish Cup Final. 

Palma finished his debut season with double figures for goals and assists, managing 10 for both. After positive showings in the USA on Celtic’s pre-season tour against Manchester City and Chelsea respectively, there was a renewed sense of optimism for the winger at the club, especially with no new left-wingers joining in the summer transfer window.

That optimism has somewhat evaporated, with Palma making just four appearances so far this season – his one start coming against Falkirk in the Scottish League Cup. Just 106 minutes have been spent on the park for the player, who has lost his international spot as a result of this lack of game-time.

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All of these negative underlying factors could have prompted Celtic’s number 7 to go off in a huff or refuse to participate in the club’s mid-season friendly versus Sligo Rovers in Ireland. With the way his season has been going, there would perhaps have been sympathy for the player if he did just that. While his 90-minute performance was not perfect by any means, the proverbial green shoots of recovery may be beginning to take shape concerning Palma’s faltering Celtic career.

At The Showgrounds on Wednesday night, Palma helped himself to a hat-trick in Celtic’s 3-2 win over their League of Ireland opposition. Admittedly, all three goals were essentially tap-ins from close range, though the winger was in the right place at the right time to profit off of good work from Yang, Sean McArdle and Samuel Isiguzo respectively. Sparing his side’s blushes by scoring twice in five minutes to secure Rodgers’ makeshift team the victory, Palma was undoubtedly the Player of the Match – though not a difficult feat, given the drabness of the tie. 

It was a stereotypical Palma performance, which included laboured wing-play, poor crossing and iffy set-pieces. What he cannot be faulted for, however, is his determination and heart, as he was the best ‘fringe player’ on the park during proceedings, driving the much-changed Celtic XI to victory on Irish soil.

After the game – with help from Celtic’s very busy translator – Palma expressed his delight with how he performed on the night. He told Celtic TV: “I'm very happy with the result tonight, especially with the work that we put in as a team.

“I'm happy that I got the match-winning goals. Overall, the work from the team was very good, and I am happy that I got to contribute to that.

When Palma was asked about his own individual targets for the duration of the campaign, he replied: “My goal this season is to help the team. Of course, my teammates are at a very good level right now, and I'm happy for them. For me, I have to be on the same level as them.

“If the goals and assists come, then I’ll be happy, but everything I do is for the team, and I want to try and help my teammates.”

You get the feeling that the winger needed this sort of goalscoring performance to alleviate any worries about the start of his season – both for the supporters and himself. With the next game not until a week on Saturday – against Aberdeen at Celtic Park – Palma can go into the break knowing that he acquitted himself well, putting himself in the best possible favour with his manager due to his attitude and application in Ireland.

Time will tell if this friendly game can or will have any sort of impact on the hopeful resurgence of Palma’s Celtic career, though he would have done himself and his prospects no harm on Wednesday night. Will he start against Aberdeen – the team who he managed to pick up four goal contributions against last November in a resounding 6-0 win? Thanks to Maeda’s existence, that seems unlikely, though anything can happen on an international break. 

Still, Palma has proved to Rodgers that he can rely on him for goals and overall impact – let’s see if he can put it together in a competitive game for Celtic once again.