Rocco Vata sets sights on Celtic first team

By Patrick Sinat

March 31, 2023

Celtic have a wonderful array of talent in their ranks. Certainly, the first team is probably in the best shape I have ever seen in the last 20 years.

Ange Postecoglou has done a superb job so far of not only making sure we have a team to dominate the domestic game, but to also ensure we have enough strength in depth to cover injuries and create healthy competition.

The Celtic supporters love a good transfer story. The intrigue surrounding a new player always gets the fans talking but what excites us more is watching a young player being promoted to the first team from the academy.

Rocco Vata is certainly one of the most exciting prospects in the B team at the moment.

The son of former Celtic defender Rudi Vata, Rocco has impressed Ange Postecolgou so much so, that the Celtic boss rewarded him with a first-team debut in the 4-0 win against Hibs in December at Easter Road.

Clearly, that has given him the hunger to sample more action and as well as opening up on following in his dad’s footsteps, young Vata has set out his ambition to break into the Celtic first team.

As reported by the Irish Sun, Vata said, “It’s a new age now, it’s not something that people my age say to me, ‘Oh your Dad played for Celtic’.

“Whenever I talk to people in their 20s, they don’t say, ‘Oh did your Dad play?’ I have to tell them. I don’t mind older people recognising me for my Dad.

“It’s something that gets a lot of recognition, all the fans want me to follow in my Dad’s footsteps. Hopefully it’s something I can do in future, be a regular player in the Celtic team.”

Can Rocco Vata make it at Celtic?

He has the potential to.

Vata is very highly rated at Celtic and he is a standout for the B team most weeks. He has scored eleven goals in total in twenty-five appearances which is impressive for an attacking midfielder.

Capped for Ireland at U19 level, at just 17 years old, he is also starting to make waves on the international scene.

If the youngster continues to develop the way he has been over the last season, he could be a huge star in the making for Celtic.