If you’re good enough you’ll make the grade at Celtic. James Forrest, Calmac and KT are current proof of that…
Ben Doak
Young Ben Doak has been one of the many positives to come out of Scotland’s last two nation league victories.
The 18 year old Liverpool attacker who is currently on loan at English Championship side Middlesbrough was instrumental in our two impressive wins against Croatia and Poland, and looks like he will be a Scotland player for many years to come.
Ben of course came through the Celtic youth ranks and made two first team appearances before departing for the bright lights of the English Premier League.
Some supporters have been suggesting on social media that the best thing Ben could have done was leave Celtic to progress his career, but that is not entirely true and nothing but a cheap shot at our club.
I’m in no doubt that Ben would have vastly improved had he stayed at Celtic and would currently be part of the first team squad. He would have learned so much under Ange Postecoglou and Brendan Rodgers, perhaps even more than he’s learned in the Liverpool reserves and his short stint at Middlesbrough.
It’s been suggested that players careers can become ‘stifled’ if they remain at a club like Celtic were playing young players regularly is such a rarity due to the demands placed on players to win every game.
While that may have reason for argument, it’s not entirely true is it? As the reality is, if you are good enough you will make the grade at Celtic.
James Forrest
Our very own James Forrest is one trophy away from being the joint most decorated player in Celtic history, while Callum McGregor is our current club captain.
Kieran Tierney
Kieran Tierney is another great example. KT became a first team regular before making a record breaking move to Arsenal and as he’s now fit again and back in training, he is bound to be the subject of transfer speculation in the January window if there is no route to first team football available at Arsenal.
As Jamesy once asked: ‘fancy it?’
To say that young players can’t progress at Celtic is total fabrication. Yes we’d like a better pathway to the first team for the Celtic Academy stars to dream about and aim for and perhaps that has not always been as clear as it should be over the past decade or two. More is being done to rectify that problem.
It’s not Celtic’s fault that English clubs are busy scooping up the best young talent to horde and with little chance of getting into their first teams. Ben Doak might make it at Liverpool but currently he’s playing for the less glamorous Middlesbrough in the Championship He could have been starring for Celtic in the Champions League.
Rocco Vata and Daniel Kelly
It was his choice. Celtic did all that they could, just ask Ange Postecoglou who went the extra mile on Doak to no avail. Same with Brendan with Rocco Vata and Daniel Kelly, who are currently finding the grass isn’t any greener at Watford of Millwall.
Just an Ordinary Bhoy
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Some amount of crap posted here.
1. These boys left ages ago. Why do we keep talking about them?
2. Ange went the extra mile with Doak🤣🤣. Gave him 4 minutes vs Sevco. Ange like Rodgers only cared about projects.
3. Grass isn’t always greener?. Ask Luke McCowan, Stephen Welsh, Anthony Ralston.
4. Doak, Vata and Kelly will do alright. Celtic fans like this page don’t want to give them time. A bit like new signings at our club. Embarrassing
5. Rodgers is invested in other clubs youth players and not our academy ones.
6. Embarrassing how pages like these prior to doing these articles are forced to be audited and edited by Celtic Football Club. Imagine living in a world where our own fans cannot publish what they want to as the club don’t allow it. A sad indictment for sure. All puppets on the end of the senior leaders of the clubs strings.
The club don’t want to own up to the continuous failings by people at the club and keep these people in jobs. It’s been the same for the last 7 boys who have left our academy of which 6 are Celtic Supporters.
Seen the powers that be at todays AGM slap down a brave Celtic fan and publisher on challenges as to why the last academy player to start a game was back in 2015. Also slapped down for questioning as to why the Under 18s have lost to Montrose and Morton in the 1st round of the scottish youth cup the last 2 years.
No doubt this post won’t be published or indeed sent for approval. Sickening.
Celtic don’t audit The Celtic Star and have no input into content whatsoever. The articles published are the views of individual supporters. Your comments have been published regardless. Folk can make of it what they will. HH
Excellent comment Stephen. If any other big business has a research and development department that produced nothing new then heads would roll. We give jobs to McManus, o dea, Hayes because of their coaching credentials??? Boasting system works by offering Forrest , McGregor, Tierney is embarrassing. There’s 25 coaches listed on the website – doing what ? Costing what ? Is it just the Scottish youngsters are just not up to standard any more ? How many exciting prospects are there in the SFPL ? Celtic are biggest and best club in the country so should be attracting the best out there – – can’t develop a full back, striker etc. not one !! I
Spot on Martin. Jobs for the boys, which has been like this for years. As you stated, the biggest club in the country failing to develop.
Unfortunately the miss treatment, Arrogance and ego from the CEO of the most recent ones that have managed some game time has made these lads leave. Respectfully when you add in Welsh and Ralston who just make up the numbers for the home grown rule then it’s a lost cause.
Imagine making Kelly sign a non disclosure before he left as they were aware of how bad their treatment was of him.
Now Unfortunately we will see Daniel Cummings leave the club due to the same going ons. This is just deflected when challenged and the manager waxes lyrical about his historic success with youth development
People Unfortunately will say that, if your good enough to play, you will. Of course it’s true. What they really don’t know is all the goings on in the background.
This unhealthy stance just makes a mockery of the youth academy with 25+ coaches earning cash for doing very little.