Brendan Rodgers enthused by ‘excellent’ Celtic youngster amid his pre-season involvement

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Celtic have enjoyed an excellent pre-season, which will prepare them nicely for the challenges that lie ahead this campaign.

Fitness is always the main goal; results aren’t the be-all and end-all. Nevertheless, victories over Chelsea, Manchester City, and DC United have whet supporters’ appetite for the Scottish Premiership season.

Encouragingly, Brendan Rodgers has also taken the opportunity to field several Celtic youngsters across preparatory fixtures, allowing fans to profile who could become future stars at Parkhead.

Northern Ireland youth international Francis Turley has taken his chance to impress, scoring his debut goal for the club against Queens Park.

In a surreal moment for the 18-year-old, he was allowed to come off the bench in Saturday’s rout of Chelsea, and Rodgers has since signalled his high hopes for the midfielder’s development in Glasgow’s east end.

Brendan Rodgers on Francis Turley

Rodgers has been impressed by Turley during pre-season and has made a point of highlighting his potential to develop into an ‘excellent footballer’ at Celtic in time, citing his technical quality and strength.

He explained [Daily Record]: “The senior guys have done so well. We’ve seen some of the younger guys, players like Francis Turley, who has come into games and really come to note over the course of the pre-season period.

“With time and development he can be an excellent footballer. He’s got a good idea of the game, he’s technically good, he can be very strong. We just need to wait for the maturation with him, he’s only 18 years old, but I’ve liked what I’ve seen from the young players.”

Despite raving about his raw attributes, Rodgers is aware that Turley will need to develop at his own pace and isn’t heaping pressure on him to deliver in the immediate term. This can only bode well as he finds the footballing maturity the Irishman seeks.

Technical proficiency is a critical quality to earn a slot in the Celtic engine room, and it is clear from early indications that the young midfielder is a talent who could be one to watch over the coming season.

Hopefully, this can be the start of Rodgers delivering on his pledge to bring starlets through from Lennoxtown to the senior squad.