Celtic supporters have spent years wondering why so few Academy players manage to force their way into the first team. The club continue to produce highly-rated youngsters, but very few make the grade.
Celtic handed professional contracts to eight young players earlier this month as another Academy group moved into the next stage of their development. One of those teenagers arrived with a scoring record that immediately made him stand out.
The 16-year-old has been finding the net for club and country while playing across several age groups. His reported numbers explain why Celtic were so keen to secure his future.
What’s the point of Celtic’s Academy?
Should Celtic just give it up as the club seem incapable of making the Academy work.
Lennon Watt’s extraordinary season for Celtic
Lennon Watt is the striker Celtic supporters should now be watching closely. The teenager reportedly finished last season with a remarkable return across Celtic’s Under-17 and Under-19 sides, as well as Scotland Under-16s.
- 48 goals
- 15 assists
- 63 combined goal contributions
Lennon Watt is the striker Celtic supporters should now be watching closely. The Talent Hunter reports that the teenager produced a remarkable return across Celtic and Scotland youth football last season.
What makes Watt’s return stand out is that it came across Celtic’s Under-17 and Under-19 teams, as well as Scotland Under-16s. The 16-year-old was already being pushed into older age groups and he kept finding the net.
Why Celtic supporters should remember Lennon Watt
Watt’s Scotland Under-16 record is impressive. He scored an injury-time winner against Romania before netting the only goal against Wales three days later.
A first professional contract does not guarantee that any young player will reach Celtic’s first team. The distance between Academy football and performing at Celtic Park remains enormous.
Watt has already scored heavily for Celtic and delivered two winners for Scotland. The challenge now is to carry that form through the Academy levels and put himself within reach of Martin O’Neill’s first team.
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