Peter Grant lauds Celtic young guns for doing ‘exceptionally well’ despite Kairat Almaty horror show

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There is a lot of doom and gloom around Celtic right now, and understandably so.

Even with Celtic’s dominance on the domestic scene, when the bar is set so high, and there are setbacks, expect there to be a negative reaction, and there was one on Tuesday night.

Celtic’s Champions League exit and horror two-leg showing against Kairat Almaty will, unfortunately, write itself in the history books in a way that will make your eyes bleed.

Not many players can hold their heads up high because it was one of the worst showings you will see from the Bhoys on the European stage.

But Peter Grant, rightfully, wanted to give his flowers to two young guns – Colby Donovan and Dane Murray – who should be proud of what they did in Kazakhstan.

• READ MORE: ‘In truth’ – Chris Sutton sums up Celtic’s meek Champions League exit to Kairat Almaty perfectly

Dane Murray and Colby Donovan lauded despite Celtic’s Champions League exit

If Celtic had improved the squad like they should have done during the 2025 summer transfer window, then perhaps players like Donovan and Murray wouldn’t have been used.

But there is nothing they can do about it, other than take their chance, and Grant told Go Radio that they did exactly that.

Whilst the Hoops hero didn’t want to pile in on the criticism towards the Celtic board, he stated that Donovan and Murray did ‘exceptionally well’ during their time on the pitch in Almaty.

“I think the first thing they have got to do is they have got to come together,” said Grant. “That’s the biggest thing, for me.

“Whether it’s the board and Brendan. There seems to be some animosity just listening. We are only listening to one side. I can’t criticise the board, because I don’t know what their argument is, and we haven’t heard from them.

“I can understand Brendan’s frustration as a manager. You knew guys were going. If those guys had stayed, I still would have said to you last season, if every one of them stayed, you needed four guys that were going to come in as starters, to put pressure on the guys who were already in position.

“There is nobody who can argue that the team is weaker. You look at the bench, and what’s coming off the bench. That’s no disrespect. You were having first-team starters coming off the bench. The speed never changed. The aggression never changed.

“Now, you are using some of these guys, who used to come off and give you a lift. You are using them from the start and taking them off.

“Then you are going to young players, who I am delighted about, because those two young players who came on against Kairat, Murray and Colby Donovan, have done exceptionally well.”

Donovan and Murray to start for Celtic against Rangers?

It’s clearly obvious, at this moment in time, that Kieran Tierney can’t complete 90 minutes, and Rodgers has to push one of the centre-backs to left-back – and Liam Scales has been the man to do that.

Added to that, with Alistair Johnston out of action, Anthony Ralston had to step in at right-back, but after a gruelling 105 minutes, he had to make way for Donovan, and you wonder what his injury status is ahead of the Rangers trip.

Either way, there is a possible fair argument to make that Donovan and Murray should be thrust into the Ibrox limelight on Sunday, more so Donovan, because they are showcasing that they are worthy of earning more minutes.