HAVING finally, after enduring several anxious days and a few sleepless nights waiting for all of the formalities to be completed, sealed his move to Celtic, Ismaila Soro was the picture of happiness yesterday.

The 21-year-old Ivorian beamed broadly as he posed for pictures at the Glasgow club’s training ground just outside Lennoxtown and greeted each member of the waiting media warmly before he was interviewed.

It was impossible to tell the midfielder had been rocked by the sudden death of his father Adama earlier this season from his upbeat manner and sunny demeanour.

Yet, as he spoke about his remarkable journey from Africa to Scotland via Moldova, Belarus and Israel and what lies ahead for him here, he opened up about the painful bereavement he had suffered last year.

The £2m signing confessed the loss of the man who had, after being initially opposed to his choice of career, become his greatest supporter had been devastating for him.

Glasgow Times:

Soro, though, is determined to honour his late father by doing well at Parkhead. If he can play a part in Celtic winning a record-equalling ninth consecutive title in the second half of the season he intends to dedicate the victory to his dad.

“I have worked hard to get here,” he said. “This is why I left school at 16. The one thing I wanted to achieve was to be good at football. The key for me has been having my parents behind me. I have had their support whenever I have moved countries so it’s always felt like being at home.

“To be honest, when I first told my father I wanted to become a football player it was tough because he was against it. He said to me: ‘No, you’re not going to go and just play football and nothing else - you must choose something else’.

“I just said: ‘It’s my life and I’m going to decide what I’m going to do - and I’m going to play football’. After that he said: ‘Okay, we will support you’. From that moment I decided I had to give my best every single day. That’s the path I have chosen. I have to be the best I can be.

“But it was good for me because a few years ago my father said to me ‘you’re a big boy and I’m proud of you’. That stays with me now because he actually died last summer. He didn’t get to see me get this far and sign for Celtic.”

Soro added: “My father passed away a couple of days before Bnei Yehuda played Malmo in a Europa League qualifier. My sister Yessonguina phoned me and said: ‘Dad is dead’. I was destroyed.

“But I decided not to tell the club until after the game. I wanted to play. I played at maybe 90 per cent of what I could do, but I didn’t want to disrupt anyone with my news. I had to grin and bear it to get through the game.

“My father has been a big motivation for me. I look up to him in everything I do. I want to win the league and be successful at Celtic for him, 100 per cent.”

It will not be easy for Soro to break into a team which has won the last 10 trophies in Scotland and is in the last 32 of the Europa League. But the player feels his experiences both in the game and in life to date have made him grow up quickly and will stand him in good stead for the challenges which await.

“I am only 21, but when you suffer that kind of trauma, you are bound to grow up quicker,” he said. “I think it’s fair to say I am more mature than a lot of people my age."

Soro, who has signed a four-and-a-half year deal, has admitted that his ultimate dream is to play for English giants Liverpool one day. If he flourishes in the East End then a move to the top flight down south could well transpire. He is, however, fully focused on doing well for Celtic.

“This a big step in my career,” he said. “For me, at this time, Celtic is a huge club. It almost feels incredible to just be here. I am not thinking about anything else, the only thing I must concentrate on is Celtic because I plan to be here a while. I have watched Celtic games on TV before. It’s not just another move. Being here feels like being in paradise.”