Ismaila Soro aims to be Celtic success for late father after sealing dream move

The ability to make Celtic his football home moved Ismaila Soro to claim yesterday it was “like being in paradise”. Yet, this proudest step in what has been a punishing professional journey for the 21-year-old Ivorian midfielder could not dull the pain of being unable to share the moment with his late father, Adama.
New Celtic signing Ismaila Soro, who previously played in Moldova, Belarus and Israel, is targeting the league title with his new club. Picture: Craig Foy/SNSNew Celtic signing Ismaila Soro, who previously played in Moldova, Belarus and Israel, is targeting the league title with his new club. Picture: Craig Foy/SNS
New Celtic signing Ismaila Soro, who previously played in Moldova, Belarus and Israel, is targeting the league title with his new club. Picture: Craig Foy/SNS

Soro is understandably still coming to terms with the sudden death of the 70-year-old in August. As a young man who had dedicated his entire existence to carving out a football career – leaving school at 16, despite his father’s disapproval, to move to Moldova, before a spell in Belarus gave way to a move to Israel – he dealt with the bereavement in the only way he knew how: by playing for his team Bnei Yehuda in a huge game without letting his club know what he was going through.

In one respect, he did precisely this to honour a father who had come to admire life choices he had initially vehemently opposed. Life choices which, in taking him to three countries before he had even left his teenage years, appear unimaginably demanding.

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“My father passed away a couple of days before my club played Malmo in a Europa League qualifier. My sister Yessonguina phoned me and said: ‘dad is dead’. I was destroyed,” recalled Soro. “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.

“I am only 21, but when you suffer that kind of trauma, you are bound to grow up quicker. I think it’s fair to say I am more mature than a lot of people my age. And I’d love some of my family to come over to Scotland now, particularly my mother, Fatoumata. It’s difficult with the African visa but it would be great to have them around.

“I have worked hard to get to Celtic, and it almost feels incredible to be here. 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 to him: ‘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,’ and 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 didn’t get to see me get this far and sign for Celtic.”

Soro, a “bull” of a player according to his manager, revealed he models himself on N’Golo Kante. Conducting his interview through a French interpreter yesterday, there was no mistaking the “wow” that he exclaimed when it was put to him that there was the possibility that he potentially could one day face the Chelsea player in the Champions League.

“I wouldn’t say the fans should expect the same level of player – but they will see the same type of player as Kante,” he said. “To me, he is the model. He’s a player who never lets go, he has that never-say-die attitude I love. I watch every single match he plays. Watching videos of how he moves around the park is how I prepare for my games.

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“I’ve never met him but if I ever did I would tell him, ‘the way you work, man, this is it’ . To play against him would be a dream come true. If I was up against him, it would be hot. When I play, it’s not for fun. I play with my heart and don’t take any prisoners.”

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