Luis Palma is putting in the hard yards back home in Honduras as he looks to relaunch his career at Celtic after a frustrating season abroad.
The 25-year-old winger has returned to train with his boyhood club Vida during an extended break following his involvement with the Honduras national team at the Gold Cup. While most of his international appearances came from the bench, Palma hasn’t allowed himself to drift out of shape.
His loan spell at Olympiacos proved a major disappointment, with the wide man making just three league starts in Greece. The lack of game time has left his future at Parkhead uncertain, but he’s shown initiative by linking up with Vida’s squad to maintain fitness ahead of pre-season.
Palma will be back in Glasgow soon and clearly wants to hit the ground running this time around. His efforts in Honduras haven’t gone unnoticed either, with his former coach hailing his professionalism and presence on the training pitch.
He said: (RecordSport), “Luis Palma was welcomed warmly by the rest of the squad and it was great to see him at our training session.
“He is of course a top player and a hero to many in Honduras.”
Palma joined Celtic in 2023 under Brendan Rodgers and made a bright start, chipping in with goals and assists before falling out of favour. His loan to Olympiacos was meant to offer regular minutes but turned out to be a false start rather than a fresh platform.
Palma faces an uphill battle to reclaim a place in the starting XI. That said, his decision to train with Vida signals intent and determination to fight for his place.
Celtic’s Daizen Maeda in action with St Mirren’s Ryan Alebiosu REUTERS/Scott Heppell
Celtic are due to ramp up preparations for the new campaign in the coming days, and it remains to be seen whether Palma will be part of Rodgers’ long-term plans. If nothing else, he’s doing what he can to make a strong first impression when he returns.
Palma’s return to fitness in a familiar setting could help him reset mentally and physically after a testing year. Whether that translates into minutes at Celtic Park remains to be seen, but the early signs suggest he’s not ready to throw in the towel just yet.
