Hogh had drawn some criticism for failing to show a finishing touch against Dundee in Celtic’s Premiership opener, but he didn’t take long to put that experience behind him when he rose to nod in Arne Engels’ cross from close range while some fans were still taking their seats at Rugby Park.
The goal impressed BBC pundit Pat Nevin, who noted it as “an easy goal, but a good goal and that’s where strikers want to live”.
The former Scotland winger watched Hogh find space to add two more and believes there’s already evidence that the defending champions have a real talent on their hands.
“Hogh is a new star,” Nevin said. “And the Celtic fans have got someone they are going to fall in love with because he looks to me like a total and utter natural goalscorer, as well as a good technical player as well.
“Celtic loved Daizen Maeda with his workrate, and before that Kyogo Furuhashi, but this guy looks like he can fill those shoes with some ease.
“I can remember watched Kyogo in his first game and thinking ‘Oh, my word, you could be the new Larsson’ because of his movement and he’s that good.
“After 45 minutes, I’m looking at Hogh and thinking this isn’t a fluke. Some players can come in and get a hat-trick and it’s a bit lucky because you find yourself in the right position.
“No, this is a player, this is a striker who knows where the goal is, knows where to go, has intelligent movement and there’s his link-up play as well.”
BBC Scotland’s chief sportswriter, Tom English, was equally impressed and saw a striker who can “tear up this league”.
“Hogh is looking more ruthless than he did on Monday, when he had chances and didn’t take them,” he said.
“In my opinion, he is the most proven goalscorer that Celtic have signed since Chris Sutton. I’m talking about pedigree, who has done it before he got to Celtic.
“Look at the goals he’s scored in the Champions League against Atletico Madrid, Manchester City, Inter Milan and for Bodo/Glimt against Sporting, Olympiacos and Porto.
“I think it’s £11m very well spent and this guy is going to get buckets of goals this season. He’s a six-yard-box striker, not exclusively, but he gets a lot of his goals there and in this league against the defenders he’s coming up against, he’s going to tear up this league.”
