Celtic has a proud history of integrating players from its academy into the first team.
Callum McGregor and James Forrest are prime examples of modern-day success stories of the youth production line at Lennoxtown. Kieran Tierney is probably the most high-profile given his £25m move to the Premier League in 2019.
Anthony Ralston and Mikey Johnston remain on the club’s books. While they're not regular starters, both have shown that if the talent is matched by hard work and the right attitude, then Celtic will give them a chance.
In recent seasons the conveyor belt has slowed down. There have been fleeting appearances for the likes of Rocco Vata and Ben Summers. Of course, Ben Doak was heavily involved in first-team matters before Liverpool picked him up before the teenager got going at Parkhead.
At clubs such as Celtic and Rangers, where there is a demand to constantly deliver success, there tends to be a degree of difficulty trying to focus on developing their younger talents to prepare them for men's football.
Brendan Rodgers insists no standouts will be omitted from his squad during his second tenure. He says he'd be 'very disappointed' if he missed any emerging talents, as he reaffirmed his commitment to helping those hoping to make the grade.
“I think one of the challenges for a club like Celtic over the past few years has been that some of the biggest young talents have got to a certain stage and then just went,” he said. “Ben Doak was an example. You are getting him through to a certain age and he breaks into the first team and then he’s gone.
“It is a challenge, it always is. The big teams want success and that is a demand. But as a manager, you will always find ways if that is what you inherently believe in. You will find ways to give those players an opportunity.
“Sometimes at the big clubs, they need a career away from the club before they have a career in there. The likes of Brighton signed players who have a career away and then they come back in and have their career there.
“It’s all about strategy. What is the need for that player? Does he need a loan? Or exposure to the first team? Does he need to change his attitude? All of these things are important in the process. It’s just not as easy as ‘do you have players who could play in the first team’.
“One or two have trained with us. We have a few out on loan as well to give them that exposure. Matt Anderson at Admira Wacker is doing very well. Bosun Lawell is down at Fleetwood. They are getting games. Ben [McPherson] at Queen’s Park, a good place for him to go.
“Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall had never been out on loan when I was at Leicester. We sent him out to Blackpool and then he had a loan at Luton and he came back 18 months later and he was ready. I stuck him in and he became a fantastic player for us. He never went out until he was 21.
“It’s just about what the player needs. Luke Thomas was a young player, 19, who had never played in front of crowds before. He had talent but had never played in front of crowds. Covid was a great chance to get him games so by the time crowds came back his first game ever in front of a crowd was the FA Cup final. But by then he had 40-odd games so he had relationships then, and then he won the FA Cup.
“It’s about looking at the strategy behind it and putting them in at the right times.”
He continued: “It’s always a challenge at a big club like this to bring young players through and pitch them into Champions League level. But if you track my career, through all my clubs, I’ve always had young players. It’s always my first look.
“From my very first job at Watford, I had Jack Cork, Liam Bridcutt, Gavin Hoyte. At Reading, it was Gylfi Sigurdsson. Right through to Liverpool as well.
“So I’ll always look and if there’s a talent there, I’d be very disappointed if I didn’t see it because of my focus on youth. That was life for 15 years. That’s why I moved into coaching, to help young people. That’s the vision I came into this club with, it’s one of my key principles.
“There’s talent here but it’s when it’s going to be ready. Some players might be talented but might not have that mental strength. They might need to go on loan and become a man. In some positions, you can put them straight in. I’ve seen sprinklings of talent at Celtic but then it’s about attitude.
“Do they have the right attitude to the game or do they feel they’re entitled? It’s not just about talent once you’re a full-time professional.
“People ask if there’s anyone ready to play for the first team. But they have to be ready to train with the first team. If you can’t train with the first team, you can’t play in it. I have to find that out. If you can’t train when there’s no one there, how are you going to play when there’s 60,000? That’s what my experience tells me. But if there’s a player here, I’m pretty sure I’ll see him.”
