The Hoops midfielder has flattered to deceive at Parkhead but is captain of his nation at this summer’s AFCON tournament.
Celtic midfielder Youssouf Mulumbu may have struggled to make his mark at Parkhead since his arrival on a free transfer in 2018 but he certainly is not appearing shorn of confidence on the international level.
The 32-year-old is captain of the Democratic Republic of Congo national team, which this summer is gearing up to compete in the Africa Cup of Nations, a tournament the country has won twice, in 1968 and 1974.
The Leopards are preparing to face Uganda in their opening Group A match on 22 June before locking horns with tournament hosts Egypt and then wrapping up the group stage against Zimbabwe.
DR Congo have done well in the last two editions of the tournament, reaching the quarter-finals in 2017 and finishing third two years earlier, and Mulumbu is confident that his nation can go all the way this time.
The Hoops man told BBC Sport: “We missed a bit of what it takes at the last tournament in 2017 and we’ve worked hard on some of it during qualification. If we can correct a little bit of what is missing we can go all the way to the final and even win it.”
For Mulumbu, an impressive tournament would also mean the opportunity to either impress new Celtic boss Neil Lennon, who is yet to see the veteran at Lennoxtown due to his loan return to Kilmarnock, or failing that, the opportunity to put himself in the shop window.
Having been snapped up on a free transfer on the final day of the 2018 summer window under Brendan Rodgers’ watch and going on to make just three appearances in the Hoops before returning on loan to the club he left the previous summer (Transfermarkt), however, suggests he has a lot of work to do if he is to win over the Celtic board and fanbase.
Nonetheless, returning to Parkhead having lifted a major trophy would certainly stand him in good stead.
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