Ever since Ange Postecoglou first pitched up in Glasgow back in the summer of 2021 and got his feet under the desk at Parkhead, the Celtic manager has enjoyed a fairly successful time of it. After inheriting a squad that had just scuppered its bid for 10-in-a-row, the Greek-Australian wasted no time overhauling the playing squad and introducing a new style of play.
Fast-forward 18 months and the mood music in Glasgow’s east end could hardly be more stark: Postecoglou has already brought home one cinch Premiership title and looks set to repeat the feat this year; his hit-rate in the transfer market is remarkable; and supporters have fallen in love with ‘Ange-ball’ and all the thrills that come with it.
For all the progress that has been made, however, there have been one or two areas of concern, too. Yes, the plethora of new arrivals at Celtic Park over the last year-and-a-half have undoubtedly improved the team and Postecoglou has a strong squad that gives him plenty of excellent options all over the park. But there is also a downside to the champions’ revolving-door transfer policy.
Postecoglou has signed 26 players since arriving in Glasgow – an entirely new squad, in effect – and competition for places in the champions’ starting line-up is rife. Two or three players signed for seven-figure sums often find themselves vying for a single position in the XI, while there is a financial imperative to play the highest earners. If you have a player on a high wage who isn’t playing regularly then that becomes money that is simply thrown away.
The upside of such a policy is that Celtic have a talented squad where very few players can consider themselves nailed-on starters, and that uncertainty appears to be driving up standards throughout the team. But there are also those who can find themselves left behind.
For all of Postecoglou’s achievements at Parkhead, promoting youth players and giving them opportunities in the first team is not among them. The formation of the Colts side and their introduction to the Lowland League, the fifth tier of Scottish football, has surely played its part – after all, the team’s entire raison d’etre is to give young players an opportunity and regular game-time – but it is difficult to ignore the lack of academy players being given a shot in the senior side of late.
This season, just one player aged 21 and under (excluding Liel Abada, who was signed in 2021 to go straight into the starting XI) has received any first-team minutes: 17-year-old Rocco Vata, who made his senior debut at the tail end of Celtic’s 4-0 win over Hibernian at Easter Road last month, playing a grand total of six minutes. No one else has had a sniff.
It is not a new phenomenon. Last season, a handful of youngsters played in the first team but only two can be said to have received any significant amount of exposure. Adam Montgomery racked up 877 minutes and Stephen Welsh finished the campaign with 2019 to his name, but that’s about it.
Dane Murray (165 minutes), Owen Moffat (95), Osaze Urhoghide (90), Joey Dawson (75), Liam Shaw (74), Ben Doak (25), Karamoko Dembele (20) and Ewan Henderson (19) featured sporadically, particularly during the first half of the season when injuries piled up and Postecoglou’s options were limited. Once the January transfer window rolled around and a few new faces were recruited, first-team minutes became even more elusive.
You may notice something else about that list of names. Barring Welsh (who turns 23 later this month), none of the aforementioned have come close to first-team football at Celtic in the past year or so. Some moved on permanently – Henderson, Doak, Dembele and Moffat have found new employers – and others have been loaned out, such as Shaw and Montgomery.
It leaves talented young players at Celtic with an arduous route to the senior side. Postecoglou’s transfer policy of signing (mostly) players in their early 20s leaves plenty of room for new recruits to develop and perhaps earn the club a sizeable transfer fee a year or two down the line; for a club like Celtic, it is a sensible approach that can allow them to cut the gap with better-financed opponents in European competition.
It has its drawbacks, though, and it could well be the next generation of up-and-coming academy players that pay the price. Callum McGregor, James Forrest and Anthony Ralston have all forged fine careers at Parkhead after graduating from Celtic’s youth set-up and the club has historically relied on its academy to bolster the first team. Those youngsters require minutes in the senior side to fully develop and at present, such opportunities are few and far between under Postecoglou.
CELTIC have had a little difficulty in holding on to their most promising youngsters over the past few years. The world’s biggest clubs are scouting players at a younger and younger age in a bid to identify talent on the cheap, and the cinch Premiership champions have not been immune to the super clubs’ grasp.
Here are five former Celtic youth players who moved on to new clubs before breaking into the first team at Parkhead.
Liam Morrison – Celtic to Bayern Munich (summer 2019)
The Scotland youth internationalist joined Bayern a few years ago, citing the German giants’ development plan for him as a key factor in deciding to move on. He started off in the Under-17s before playing for the Under-19s, and the defender now plays for their reserve side.
Barry Hepburn – Celtic to Bayern Munich (summer 2020)
The winger, encouraged by Morrison’s transfer the previous year, joined his former team-mate in Bavaria and now plays for Bayern’s reserves after working his way through the youth set-up. Capped at Under-16, Under-17 and Under-19 level for Scotland.
Josh Adam – Celtic to Manchester City (summer 2020)
The central midfielder has been a regular feature in City’s reserve side this term and started five out of six UEFA Youth League matches for the English club this season. Scored nine goals and provided another nine assists in 24 appearances in the Under-18 Premier League last season.
Liam Hughes – Celtic to Liverpool (January 2021)
Initially loaned out to Stalybridge Celtic after sealing his move to Anfield, the goalkeeper is now playing for the Reds’ Under-21s side and has been an unused substitute for the senior side in the Premier League.
Ben Doak – Celtic to Liverpool (March 2022)
The attacker made his Celtic debut aged 15 and a few months later was snapped up by Liverpool. Doak has gone from strength to strength since – the winger has been training with the Liverpool first team, has impressed during friendlies when given a chance and made his Premier League debut against Aston Villa last month. Already a Scotland Under-21 internationalist at the age of 17.
