Celtic have endured a struggle over the years in retaining academy talent, and they haven’t brought through as many prodigies from Lennoxtown to the first team as some would’ve liked.
During the summer window, Rocco Vata and Daniel Kelly became the latest examples amid their departures to Watford and Millwall despite both being presented with contract offers to stay put.
In the case of Kelly, Brendan Rodgers refused to involve the youngster in pre-season after it became apparent that he wasn’t going to sign an extension to his deal, which was set to run out in December.
Adopting a hardline stance, the Irishman made it clear that he wasn’t willing to develop someone who didn’t want to commit to a new contract in Glasgow.
The 18-year-old left and will hopefully kick on south of the border, but his situation isn’t the first instance of Celtic losing young talent before they make a sustained breakthrough at senior level.
In light of what continues to become a growing problem across Scottish clubs, there is an argument that it needs to be Rodgers’ way or the highway when it comes to keeping young stars on board.
The prestige and demands of playing for Celtic
Firstly, Celtic aren’t like most clubs in the world. The expectation to win every week is heightened, and compared to a lot of other sides in different countries, there is very little margin for error.
Sometimes, throwing young players in at the deep end can prove a little tricky. One mistake in a big game can dramatically alter the mood music surrounding their development; there is not a lot of leeway for learning on the job.
Taking things forward, you must be technically and tactically up to scratch to feature under an elite manager like Rodgers. Yes, prodigious talents can produce this over time, but off-the-ball discipline is just as important as work in possession.
Although not directly referring to homegrown academy talent, the Irishman lay down the gauntlet to Bosun Lawal and Odin Thiago Holm in pre-season, stating that they needed to do ‘more’ without the ball at their feet to force their way into his plans.
He stated: “You have to run. Without the ball, you’ve got to run, you’ve got to be bright, you’ve got to be in good positions to press the game, then to get the ball and take the ball. Later on, Rodgers finished by saying: “So I think the two boys that you mentioned have talent. But I want more. A lot more. Talent is not just enough. You can play in teams, but not in our team.”
Notice that the last four words have been highlighted. Why is that you ask? Lawal is now at Stoke City, and Holm was left out of Celtic’s Champions League squad a couple of weeks ago, showing the power of Rodgers’ words in action.
There is a lot of responsibility that comes with playing for Celtic; if young players of any description aren’t able to match that, they won’t be at the forefront of his plans.
The Francis Turley example which can benefit both parties
Before concluding, Francis Turley can be looked upon as someone who could break the chokehold of Celtic losing youngsters early into their career.
The Northern Ireland youth international made his debut against St Mirren last month, prompting Rodgers to make some intriguing admissions surrounding plans to develop him over the coming years.
He said: “He still has a lot of maturation, and I think that what we don’t need to do is put a lot of hype into a young 18-year-old. Just take your time.
“He’s a talent, and we’ve seen talents leave here because they’re impatient. I don’t see that; being with Francis now over the summer, he signed a new deal and had his family in. They trust the club, which is important in his development.”
Allowing talent to flourish slowly is vital to avoid heaping pressure on young shoulders. Turley and Rodgers both share a mutually agreeable level of trust based on a cleverly devised plan for the future that could reward both parties.
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