Celtic talent Ross Doohan last night made an all-action debut for Tranmere Rovers against Oldham Athletic in the EFL Cup.
Doohan completed a loan move to Micky Mellon’s side earlier this summer. The Rovers boss went on record to state how grateful he was to Celtic for the deal.
And it looks as though Doohan has made an impression in training early on. Despite only signing last week, he was thrown in for Tranmere’s match last night. This came after he was on the bench for the weekend’s 1-0 win against Walsall.
Unfortunately, Doohan came out on the losing side last night. Oldham managed to recover from 2-0 down to force a penalty shootout with two goals within the final half-hour.
The contest would come down to penalties, with Doohan losing out 4-3. The game marked Ross’ first senior appearance since November 2020 when he featured for Ross County against Kilmarnock.
A big season ahead for Celtic goalkeeper Ross Doohan
It wasn’t the start Doohan wanted last night by any stretch. However, in the bigger picture, it’s just vital that he’s back playing football once again.
All of a sudden, Doohan is now 23. He’s the same age as Conor Hazard, with both men now at the stage of their careers where they need regular minutes.
Doohan is no longer a young prospect looking to shine here and there. He’s now at an age where he needs experiences like last night. He needs to taste high-stake, pressurised environments. No, losing a two-goal lead and a penalty shootout wasn’t in his itenerary, but first-team football certainly is.
It’s all about getting regular minutes and proving he’s far too good for League Two this season. Because the truth is that playing for Tranmere and Celtic are two totally different experiences. Even if Doohan is starring for the former, he’ll still have some way to go before he proves himself capable of playing for the latter.
The Scottish stopper’s contract at Parkhead runs out next summer. Therefore, the only thing on his mind will be earning a new deal. Getting into Tranmere’s squad on a regular basis will help him to achieve just that.
And even though last night wasn’t what Doohan was after, it was a good first step for him regardless.
In other news, Report: Thomas Henry wants Celtic move this summer
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