Celtic will not receive huge praise for handing new deals to three academy players this week, but these are exactly the kind of decisions serious clubs need to make early.
The club confirmed that Cole Crawford signed a new deal, while Aidan Rice penned fresh terms and Owen Hartington also committed his future to the club.
That might not dominate supporter discussion in the same way transfer rumours do, but Celtic are clearly trying to become more proactive with their academy planning.
Why are Celtic struggling to bring through academy players?
Celtic are finally moving earlier with academy talent
Too often in modern football, clubs wait until young players are already attracting external interest before acting decisively.
Celtic deserve credit for avoiding that situation here. For too long fans have watched on as Premier League clubs pick up elite young Celtic talent on the cheap.
This is exactly how a club with Celtic’s resources should operate. Not every academy player will become a first-team regular, but allowing talented prospects to drift into uncertainty helps nobody.
Celtic still need to prove the first team pathway works
The contracts alone are not enough. Supporters will eventually want to see opportunities for youngsters to develop into the first team to follow.
That remains the biggest challenge for Celtic’s academy structure. Renewing players is important, but progression into senior football is what ultimately validates the process.
Still, this week’s announcements were sensible business. Celtic supporters may not celebrate these announcements now, but the club cannot afford to ignore this area any longer
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