Celtic youth Francis Turley has enjoyed a fine few days after netting his first senior goal for the Bhoys against Queen’s Park during the week.
The 18-year-old latched on to a pinpoint cutback and took his opportunity with aplomb in the second half, prompting Brendan Rodgers to praise the youngster’s ‘natural instinct’ post-match.
He stated: “I’ve only seen him in the last few days, and you can see he’s a football player. He does some wonderful things with the ball, and he has a natural instinct to get into the box. I was really pleased for him in that final half hour.”
With Rodgers happy to rotate his squad across pre-season, there is room for one or two prodigies to stake their claim for further involvement.
Away from club football, Turley has now earned a reward in the immediate aftermath of his exploits at The city Stadium.
Francis Turley earns exciting international reward
Per Celtic B’s official X account, Turley has been called up by Northern Ireland Under-19s for their upcoming involvement in the European Championships.
The Belfast-born midfielder will travel over the Irish Sea to feature in the eight-team tournament, which will begin on July 15th.
Gareth McAuley is in charge of the squad, and Neil Lennon’s son, Gallagher Lennon, is also part of their group that will vie for glory. The competition also acts as qualifying for the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in 2025. [Irish FA].
Italy, Norway, Ukraine, Denmark, Spain, France, and Turkey are the other seven competitors who will take part.
Turley has already made strides in his fleeting Celtic career and will have a chance to go toe-to-toe with other elite youngsters in a few days, which can only be good for his football progression.
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