Martin O’Neill rotated his Celtic squad for their Scottish Cup clash against Auchinleck Talbot.
With huge games against Bologna and Hearts to come in the next week, now was the time to hand some minutes to fringe players.
Stephen Welsh started for the first time since returning from his loan spell at Motherwell while there was also a rare start for Michel-Ange Balikwisha, days after he deleted all of his Celtic posts from social media.
Colby Donovan was assigned to the left-back role in the biggest surprise of them all, but there was a new name on the bench in youngster Joseph Haney.
Who is he and why did O’Neill pick him? 67 Hail Hail has everything you need to know about a potential future star.
Is that the starting line up you would’ve picked?
Who is Celtic’s Joseph Haney?
Joseph Haney is a product of the Celtic academy and has previously been a part of the young Hoops’ Under-18 squad.
Haney signed his first professional contract with the club in July 2025 and has since been promoted up to the B team.
There, he has played seven times in the Lowland League, registering one assist.
He was born in Surrey, England on 25 June 2009, making him 16 years old at the time of writing.
What position does Joseph Haney play in?
By trade, Haney usually plays as a left-back, but can also operate in the centre of a back four if needed.
This season has seen him play left-back in the league and KDM Evolution Trophy, and he is more than likely the cover for Donovan on the bench since usual left-back Kieran Tierney is absent from the squad altogether.
If he plays against Auchinleck, he will enter the record books and become one of the three youngest players in Celtic history.
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