Luis Palma had a night to forget as Honduras were thrashed 6-0 by Canada in the Gold Cup on Wednesday. The Celtic winger was taken off at half-time with his side already well behind, capping off a painful night for the 25-year-old and his national team.
The heavy defeat was a blow not just for Honduras but for Palma personally, with the player later calling it one of the lowest points in his career. With questions hanging over his club future, the match had been a chance for him to impress, but instead, it ended in frustration.
Palma joined Celtic from Aris in Greece in the summer of 2023 for £3.5 million. Although that transfer window has come under criticism, he made a decent early impact in Glasgow. He finished his first season with 10 goals and 10 assists in 36 games, showing he had something to offer.
But things changed in the second half of the season. Palma was loaned out to Olympiakos, where he made just three starts. The Greek side had an option to buy for around £3.3 million, but decided not to take it. Now he’s expected back at Celtic for pre-season, though where he fits in remains unclear.
He said: (the Herald), “It’s very sad. It’s one of my lowest moments in my career. We have to accept we are going through a very difficult time at the moment.
“But we all know that was nowhere near acceptable. Now we have to use this as a learning experience for the rest of the tournament. The whole team is devastated by this setback.
“Only hard work will help us. We have to turn over a new page. We didn’t have a clear idea of what we wanted to play, and it showed. This defeat hurts us all a lot.”
While Palma still has support in the dressing room and is liked by teammates, he’s struggled to win over Brendan Rodgers. His lack of speed has stood out when compared with Daizen Maeda or Nicolas Kuhn, both have become key options in wide areas.
That’s left Palma on the outside looking in. Celtic are heading into a big season, and with Champions League football to plan for, there won’t be room to carry passengers. He’ll need to show something quickly if he’s to stay in Rodgers’ plans.
Palma is clearly a talented player, but it’s hard to see where he fits right now. The loan spell didn’t work out, and his confidence looks shaken. With pre-season coming soon, it may be now or never for the Honduran at Celtic.
