Oliver Abildgaard's frantic last day as a Celtic player has been revealed with the Danish midfielder close to signing a deal in his native country before penning a deal in Italy.
The 26-year-old, who was on loan at Parkhead from Russian outfit Ruban Kazan, had his spell in Glasgow cut short after failing to secure a starting berth under Ange Postecoglou. Abildgaard was linked with a move away from the champions throughout the January transfer window, however it wasn't until the last day that he moved elsewhere. It was revealed by the club he had his season-long loan cut short and that he was joining Serie A side Hellas Verona.
During his time in Glasgow he made six Premiership appearances and a couple of Champions League and Viaplay Cup cameos. The defensive midfielder's move to Verona nearly didn't come about after a couple of hectic hours before the window slammed shut. Now, Verona director Sean Sogliano has revealed Abildgaard could have been heading to Denmark instead of Serie A.
He told Calciomercato: "Abildgaard was evaluated at an early stage in the transfer market, then we went on to other profiles. But we knew him, and he has characteristics that were lacking in the squad: he has great physicality.
"He has the qualities to immerse himself in a reality that needs people who struggle. He was captain of Rubin Kazan, played in Scotland.
"From the very first training sessions it was clear that he really wanted to come here. Two hours from the end of the market, we spoke on video call, he was in the car, he was signing with a Danish team and he chose Verona.
"This shows how enthusiastic he arrived. I really appreciated it."
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