Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou has said that the club needs to be producing more talent, and giving Lennoxtown opportunities is part of that.
In recent weeks, we’ve seen the likes of Rocco Vata and Ben Summers move up to first-team training. B Team stars like Joey Dawson, Owen Moffat and Dane Murray have all had chances. There’s also hope for the likes of Tobi Oluwayemi, today called up again for England U19s.
It’s all very much part of the plan for Celtic boss Postecoglou, who’s previously talked about putting an emphasis on structuring the first-team around homegrown talent.
Responding to a question from The Cynic’s Lewis Laird, Ange stressed there are opportunities for young Celtic players, should they shine at youth level.
On letting Celtic B Team and U18 players train at Lennoxtown, Ange said [Celtic FC]: “It’s important, because they have to feel like the window of opportunity is there for them.
“It’s one thing to be doing well at B Team level, or Under 18s. But ultimately their biggest reward is knowing an opportunity exists for them.
“Whenever we can, we’ll bring up young guys who we feel deserve to train with the first team, and give them that taste of it as a bit of a reward. But also, show them that the opportunity exists for those excel at the level below us. We’ve given opportunities to a number of guys from the B Team, others have come and trained with us.
“We need to make our young players feel that there is a reward for them if they continue to do the right things, and play good football. The ultimate reward for them is for us to show them that you will get noticed. The opportunity exists, you won’t get ignored. There isn’t a blockage there for them.
“Hopefully they train here, then they go back and they’re excited, the guys they’re training with are excited for them and also want to taste it themselves. For us it’ll always be an important part of our football club. We need to be a club that produces our own talent. Providing opportunity is the key to that.”
Ange Postecoglou wants Celtic prospects aiming to make a mark at Lennoxtown
It stands to reason that Ange Postecoglou wants to provide incentives to Celtic B team and U18s talents. Celtic, he’s said before, can’t compete with the level of spending we see in Europe.
Therefore, producing talent from within has to prerogative. Ange can’t keep his eye on every player’s development, but if he’s getting good reports from coaches within the Celtic set-up, it makes sense that Lennoxtown acts as an incentive.
It’s not as if Postecoglou is immune to playing these prospects for Celtic, either. In his first season at the club, he’s doled out serious minutes to players aged 23 or under, many from the Academy.
Granted, Postecoglou will have to rely on the squad core he’s built already. There are massive games coming up, as Celtic compete for a Treble. The higher the stakes are, the less likely it seems youth prospects will garner big minutes for Celtic.
Even then, it’s evidence of sorts that this is more of a focus at Celtic than it has been previously. For all the success of Brendan Rodgers and, early on, Neil Lennon, it didn’t seem as though playing Academy talents was much of a priority.
Now, it appears to be more of a prevalent idea.
Given the history of talent Celtic has produced over the years, that’s no bad thing.
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