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The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
Sport
Ewan Paton

Celtic 'tracking' South African wonderkid Luke Baartman

Celtic are tracking South African wonderkid Luke Baartman, according to a report.

The Cape Town Spurs striker made his Premier Division debut last month and has attracted the attention of various clubs around Europe, including in the Premier League.

The 17-year-old is said to have Leeds United on his trail.

The teenager made his first appearance against Orlando Pirates in October, before scoring his first senior goal two weeks ago against Kaiser Chiefs.

Baartman is rated one of the best prospects in the country. The South Africa Under-17s starlet is still at school.

And the Scottish Sun reports that Celtic are monitoring his progress at this early stage in his career.

It's said the Hoops have had representatives at matches to watch him first hand.

The report states that Baartman wouldn't be viewed an an immediate first-team player for Brendan Rodgers, but would be another talent the club could develop over time and sell on for a big fee.

Meanwhile, Kristoffer Ajer doesn’t buy into the theory that you should never go back. The big Norwegian savoured the chance to return to Glasgow on Sunday evening on international duty, even though it was something of a bittersweet experience as a guest at Scotland’s qualification party.

He has also been pleased to see the return of Brendan Rodgers to these parts, with the Celtic manager playing a pivotal role in the early stages of his career development.

It was Rodgers who first suggested that perhaps his prodigious galloping gait would be suited more to the centre of defence than the midfield, and who honed him into a player who made a valuable contribution to the club before eventually making them a right good few quid with his move to English Premier League side Brentford.

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