Overview
- Kasper Høgh opened the scoring within about a minute and completed a first‑half hat‑trick as Celtic beat Kilmarnock 5-1 at Rugby Park, a display that arrived on Sunday and ended doubts after a quieter debut.
- The hat‑trick comes weeks after Celtic signed the 25‑year‑old from Bodø/Glimt on a reported £11m deal with a four‑year contract, offering immediate return on the club’s record summer outlay.
- Shaun Maloney took charge of the match while Martin O’Neill recovered from a short hospital procedure and O’Neill delivered a pre‑match talk from the team hotel.
- The win gave Celtic two wins from two to start the Premiership and moved them top of the table, with focus now shifting to the Champions League qualification play‑off first leg against LASK at Celtic Park.
- Høgh arrives with a proven scoring record in Norway and the Champions League, and his link‑up play and hold‑up work were widely praised, a result that could shape Celtic’s remaining transfer plans and boost their European hopes.