It’s pretty common to see that multiple players in a league will have a connection to the biggest sides from their younger days, and there are a few Celtic connections in the League Cup final between Livi and St Johnstone this weekend.
Admittedly this is going to be a tough watch for any Celtic fan as it’s been years since any domestic cup final hasn’t featured them, but there may be a few players that interest you here.
Livi goalkeeper Max Stryjek has already spoken about his desire to emulate his hero Artur Boruc in winning the trophy, and it’s interesting to hear that he used to look up to Boruc as a kid.
The Celtic links with St Johnstone are a bit more direct, so here’s three players who were formed at Celtic Park.
Jamie McCart – Centre-back
The son of Chris McCart who has worked as Celtic’s Head of Youth for years now, Jamie also came through Celtic’s youth academy and he does have one senior appearance to his name when he came on against Motherwell in the League Cup.
Ultimately he had to drop down the divisions on loan before settling at Inverness, while he impressed enough to earn the move back to the top flight with Saints a they tried to solve some serious defensive issues.
He’s been one of the standouts under Callum Davidson this season as his system of a back three suits McCart’s ability on the ball and lack of pace, while his composure and ability in the air has allowed him to be one of the standout defenders in the league this season.
Saints look dangerous from set pieces and this game will probably be tight, so he could even become the hero if he manages to score his first goal for the club this weekend.
Michael O’Halloran – Winger/Forward
There’s obvious reasons why O’Halloran won’t be fondly thought of by the Celtic support, but it’s become clear over the years that his transfer to the Rangers was for money and not much else.
His Dad is also called Michael is one of the youth coaches at the club, while his son came through Celtic’s academy before moving down south with Bolton at an early age.
He finally found a home in Perth and one of his best performances came when he single handedly tore the Rangers apart in a 3-1 win at Ibrox – a performance that convinced them to shell out a decent amount of money.
His pacey and technically good but it often takes him a few seconds to react to anything that happens so he was never cut out for the highest level, but he could still be a handy impact sub this weekend.
He’s found himself out of the first team picture in recent weeks but he’s still a handy player to have around, and it’s easier to forgive him when you remember he went into the Celtic end for a game when he was still contracted to the Rangers.
David Wotherspoon – Midfield
Wotherspoon spent a few years in Celtic’s youth academy before moving to Hibs in search of first team football, and he’s had a really solid top flight career ever since.
The 31 year old midfielder is closing in on 400 Premiership appearances which is impressive, while it looks like he should recover from injury to play a part in the game this weekend.
He was born in Perth and he’s a boyhood Saints fans so this will mean more to him than most, while was also part of the 2014 Scottish Cup winning side so he will go down as a legend if he can play a key part here.
He loves to get on the ball and that can sometimes come back to hurt his team if he overplays or isn’t playing with confidence, but he should be a key player on Sunday if he’s able to win his fitness battle.
