CELTIC’S young Norwegian defender, Leo Hjelde, has been selected by Norway’s Under-17 squad for their forthcoming European Championship qualification games against Bulgaria, Malta and Austria.

The three games will be played in Norway, beginning with a match against Bulgaria next Thursday, October 17, and Hjelde is looking forward to the chance to represent his country.

This week’s Celtic View caught up with the 16-year-old to find out how he’s settling into life at the club since moving to Glasgow at the end of July...

Who were you playing with before signing for Celtic?
I was with Rosenborg before. I was 14 when I joined Rosenborg and played Under-16s and Under-18s with them. It was really good for my development being there and they’ve helped make me the player I am today. I hope I can continue that and Celtic is the perfect place for me to do that.

What was it like leaving your family and moving to a different country?
I think I needed it and it’s the best thing for my career. I live with some of the other boys in the reserve team and it’s quite nice. It’s a good squad to be part of and the atmosphere is really good. My family will be coming over quite a lot, so I will see them a lot anyway and I can just concentrate on playing football.

What targets are you setting yourself this season?
I’m still 16 so I know I will probably have to be patient and wait for my opportunities. There’s a lot to learn from the players here, though, so I will be busy. I’m not stressing about how quickly this happens but, obviously, I would like to train with the first team as much as I can. My immediate focus is to train well, avoid injury and play as much as I can.

Have you been involved in training with the first team?
I’ve trained a bit with the first-team squad. The first time was a couple of weeks ago and it was very nice. I got a text the day before saying I needed to be in for training with the first team. That was cool. They were all friendly, but I don’t think they knew who I was at first. I expected that, though, so that’s alright.

Have you spoken to either of your Norwegian team-mates?
I’ve spoken to Kristoffer and Mohamed. It’s been nice having them around because I can speak Norwegian to them and ask advice about things.

Read the full interview with Leo Hjelde in this week’s Celtic View. On sale now.

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Young Norwegian Celt, Leo Hjelde, is loving life at Paradise