There are so many stats floating about that it’s sometimes hard to figure out which ones are meaningful, but looking at how a team develops their young players is a big thing.
The Sun recently reported on how much playing time the Scottish Premiership sides gave their youngsters, and the difference between Celtic and the Rangers is startling.
Celtic rank third behind Hearts and St Johnstone with 18.7% of playing time in the first half of the season going to their young players, while the Rangers came out at only 1.7%.
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It’s not an overly surprising stat – Steven Gerrard’s side have desperately tried to buy success in the last two years, but all they’ve really managed to do is barely keep up.
Developing youngsters is hugely important for several reasons, so this is highly encouraging for Celtic.
Firstly it helps to deepen the bond between the players and the fans – if you see someone local who’s now leading your team then that’s one of the best things for a supporter.
On top of that there’s a financial benefit, as you can develop your own stars and end up with a calibre of player that you can’t buy on the market, while they can also be sold on for a hefty sum in the future – like Kieran Tierney.
It’s all well and good stockpiling youngsters, but if you never give them a chance then kids will stop signing for you, and the trend will continue forever.
It might look like a small thing in some ways, but it just shows that Celtic are set up to dominate now and for years to come.
