Brendan Rodgers never shied away from giving youth a chance during his first spell as Celtic manager.
Anthony Ralston, Calvin Miller, and Mikey Johnston were all given sustained runs in the first team under his watch around six years ago.
Now, as he sinks his teeth into the Parkhead gig for a second time, the Hoops boss admits he's been pleasantly surprised with the quality of the club's current youth products.
The players returned for pre-season training this week, with Rodgers casting his eye over the first team and academy stars.
The likes of Kyogo, Reo Hatate, and Callum McGregor have been allowed additional time off due to their international commitments in June.
But that has allowed the likes of Ben Summers and Bruno Davidson to step up and show the boss what they can do.
They have impressed with their quality, and Rodgers admits they have provided him with food for thought.
He told Celtic TV: "Normally in the modern game, very rarely do you get all your players back at the one time.
"So that will always give you a chance to see the young players - and I've got to say I've been very impressed with both (the young players) and the established guys in the first-team squad have been excellent, their attitude has been outstanding.
"They've come back in a really, really good condition. So they've come back already fit, which gives us a chance to build on that. And the young players, of course, a lot of them I haven't known, they've been pleasantly surprising really.
"They've been really, really good. Sometimes a young player can come in and really struggle with the intensity of the first-team. But they've all coped really, really well so that's been pleasing."
He added: "The point I made to the players is, it starts on day one. When you're looking to reclaim that winning mentality, you have to come back from the very first day and give everything. That's what the players have done so far."
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