Mubarak Wakaso has revealed how the memory of his tragic baby son will drive him to be a success at Celtic.
The Ghana star suffered untold heartache at the start of the year when he lost four-month-old Mubarak Wakaso Jnr.
Mubarak – who has moved to Parkhead on a season-long loan from Rubin Kazan – yesterday spoke of his anguish and how the football world rallied around to help him overcome the death.
His son had fallen ill and passed away as Mubarak raced him to hospital in his hometown of Tamale in Ghana.
The winger was back in Africa during the Russian winter break when tragedy struck.
The loss of his son left the 24-year-old shattered.
Team-mates offered support as he tried to deal with the pain while fans of his former club, Elche, held a minute’s silence in honour of the boy.
Now, seven months on, Mubarak hopes for triumph after the tears as he embarks on a new chapter following his Parkhead unveiling.
The winger said: “My son inspires me. I am a strong guy but to lose someone who means a lot to your life, it definitely brings your spirit down.
“Anything can happen in life, so anything that happens you need to accept and keep on going.
“Right now I am okay. It makes me work harder and harder to be the very best I can be for him.
“At the time it happened I was on holiday so I was able to come to terms with it better.
“I really appreciated the support of my Ghana team-mates because sometimes it is not easy to get love from other people.â€
Speaking for the first time about his son’s death, Mubarak said: “Me and my family went to Ghana for about two weeks but then my baby fell ill.
“His body was warm and he was vomiting so we took him to hospital where he was given a check-up. We were told there was nothing wrong.
“Later on his condition improved and I was playing with him but then he deteriorated.
“So I contacted my mother to help me take my baby to hospital but on our way there I realised my son was no longer alive.â€
Mubarak – whose loan deal at Celtic includes an option to buy at the end of the season – hopes a new club will ensure a fresh start for him having faced challenges in Russia after his £4million move there last summer.
He said: “I can’t talk about racism but for me it was difficult. The weather in Russia and the people, the language, it was hard for me. The football and my off-field life wasn’t bad.
“But each and every place has its differences. It wasn’t bad but it also didn’t go as I had wanted. That’s why I decided to switch.â€