Adam Idah is relishing the prospect of a return to his hometown as Celtic gear up for a pre-season friendly against Cork City in early July.

The Irish striker, who was born in Cork, will get the chance to play in front of a home crowd as the Hoops prepare for the new campaign.

After an impressive six-month loan spell at Celtic, Idah made his move permanent in the summer for £9.5 million. However, he missed last year’s pre-season tour of the United States, where Celtic took on DC United, Chelsea, and Manchester City, delivering strong performances against elite opposition. Now, he’s hoping this year’s preparations can provide a similar boost.

Reflecting on last summer’s pre-season benefits, Idah said: “Obviously I missed those games as I wasn’t there at that point,” he told the Herald.

“But I think they saw the confidence the lads got from those friendlies. They probably brought it into the start of the season.

“Even with the Champions League games, you can see us when we’re playing the big teams, we’re not scared to play these big teams. We can go take it to everyone. I think it all started from the pre-season games and it’s been great for us. So, hopefully now we can carry on building on that.

“That’s what pre-season is great for. Everyone wants to play in the season, so that’s a big opportunity for us boys to go out and show what we can do. It’ll be a great game. Obviously, Cork City are a great side and they’re going to be up for it just as much as we are. It’ll be an exciting day for everyone.”

Celtic’s full pre-season schedule has yet to be finalised, but the trip to Cork is a significant fixture, not just for Idah but for the club’s preparations. With the league campaign set to begin on the first weekend of August and crucial Champions League qualifiers later that month, a strong start will be vital.

It will be interesting to see if Celtic face elite opposition, like they did last year, or just play a few local teams to get minutes in the legs of players.