Jeremie Frimpong took delivery of some early Christmas presents last week.
One of his growing band of fans sent some items, emblazoned with the words “Oh my days”, to the Celtic training ground.
The 19-year-old created a catchphrase when he kept repeating the expression after the League Cup Final victory over Rangers.
Despite being sent off in the game, Frimpong was still bubbling with enthusiasm, and that’s one of the reasons why supporters have taken him to their heart.
He rounded off a post-match interview by saying: “Oh my days, it was the best game ever”.
It helps that he’s also turned in some outstanding, attacking performances from the right-back position.
But the Dutchman is loved for not being afraid to show how much he loves being a footballer.
He said: “I just got sent a cup, a phone case and a T-shirt saying ‘Oh my days!’.
“That’s just how I speak. Everyone who knows me is aware of that, but it just became a big thing.
“To be fair, the guy messaged me, asking where he should send it, and I told him to send it to the training ground.”
The former Manchester City player is far too cheerful to think about future battles about the commercial rights to his catchphrase.
He’s just delighted to be in Scott Brown’s good books.
He went on: “The captain likes me, so that’s good. But the whole team have been good.
“I think with my personality, everywhere I go it will be good.
“I’m just good with people in general. I just like to talk to people and like their banter.
“The fans are amazing. Sometimes when I’m out in town, they’ll be like: ‘Oh, that’s Jeremie Frimpong’.
“So I’ll stop to have a chat with them, and they will ask me how I’m finding it. It’s been good.
“When I was walking around Manchester, I could just walk around, minding my own business.
“Now it’s like: ‘Jeremie! Jeremie!’.
“It’s different, man, it’s cool.
“I’ve got lots of brothers down in Manchester. My mum, my brothers, my agent – every time I have matches they will come through.
“They are coming up for Christmas, so I won’t be by myself.
“They have always believed in me.
“There was one time at Man City when I didn’t get picked for a tournament in England and I was crying.
“But I never doubted I would make it. I’ve been doing this my whole life so I always believed.
“Education wasn’t for me, so it had to be football!
“I didn’t think it was going to be this quick at Celtic, but I knew that one day I would prove myself.
“I just want to keep doing it for the fans and my team-mates.”
Frimpong was at the centre of an elaborate goal celebration against Hearts last midweek and he promises there’s more of those to come.
Many players arrive in Scotland already planning a quick route back to English football. He isn’t one of them.
Frimpong continued: “I’m at Celtic, so this is where I’m staying.
“The fans love me and I love them, so I am staying.”
Neil Lennon will be re-jigging the club’s Europa League squad to find a spot for Frimpong before they face FC Copenhagen in the last 32 of the competition.
The Parkhead boss said: “We’ll definitely include him in it.
“I think we have enough wriggle room. But the bottom line is he’s going in, and if it means one has to drop out, then we’ll have to look at that.
“He has the exuberance of youth but there’s no malice in him or arrogance about him.
“He came as an emerging talent, but his performances in training were outstanding against high-calibre players
“It came to the point where you just couldn’t stop the progress, and that’s not always the case with young players.
“He’s really taken to the club and the players have really taken to him.”
Enjoy the convenience of having The Sunday Post delivered as a digital ePaper straight to your smartphone, tablet or computer.
Subscribe for only £5.49 a month and enjoy all the benefits of the printed paper as a digital replica.
Subscribe