Celtic youngster Adam Montgomery started for St Johnstone in a 4-0 defeat against Rangers today, in his first real exposure to football at Ibrox.
Montgomery has briefly faced Rangers previously, coming on as a late substitute in a 1-0 Bhoys defeat last season, but has never had substantial game time against them in senior action.
Today, he was trusted by manager Callum Davidson to play on the left flank as a wing-back, with the Perth side deploying a central defensive back-three.
It was always going to be a tough shift for the 20-year-old, and so it transpired, despite some early encouragement for St Johnstone.
The home side took the lead in the 32nd minute thanks to a Malik Tillman header, with Montgomery eventually replaced at the hour mark.
Davidson brought on Maltese international James Brown for the Celtic youngster and it looked to be part of protection against a red card.
Montgomery had received a yellow in the first half and committed two early fouls at the start of the second period, putting him at risk of another from referee Nick Walsh.
Rangers scored their second, third and fourth goals when he wasn’t on the pitch.
Although the result is an obvious disappointment for St Johnstone and the young Celtic player, it’s still a valuable learning experience for the wide player in the early stages of his career.
If there’s a lack of opportunities in our first-team, going out on loan and experiencing days like this against opposition the Bhoys directly compete against is far preferable to a lower league switch or action in the Lowland League with Celtic B.
Premiership football gives the player and the staff at Celtic tracking his progress a better indication of his readiness for a future Bhoys impact.
Montgomery made 18 appearances under Ange Postecoglou last season and has a contract that runs at the club until 2025, giving him plenty of time to continue his development.
Next up for St Johnstone is a home match against Aberdeen, and they’ll be looking for a much kinder scoreline.
In other news, Former Celtic kid bounces back from release to sign for English Premier League side.
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