Celtic’s academy has been a big talking point in recent times.
Some have questioned what the point of Celtic’s academy is, given that players are hardly handed a chance, and others are swooped away by more financially lucrative teams.
But one man who is taking part in his first pre-season for Celtic is youngster Liam Kennedy.
After Kennedy impressed against Shelbourne for Celtic’s pre-season opener, he is now preparing for the Sporting Lisbon clash, and he explained to supporters his style of play, including how Futsal has allowed him to play in ‘tight areas’ in the middle of the park.
What’s the point of Celtic’s Academy?
Should Celtic just give it up as the club seem incapable of making the Academy work.
Liam Kennedy relishing Celtic pre-season chance
Kennedy told CelticPlayer: “Yeah, it’s great. I am able to train with so many great players. Something I have wanted to do for years.
“I play six. Mainly just passing the ball. Moving it quickly and switching it from side to side.”
CelticPlayer Presenter: “I was reading about you earlier that, as a youngster, you were involved in a Futsal kind of experience. How do you bring that into this sort of environment?”
Kennedy: “I think Futsal is great. It’s like (playing in) tight areas and just dribbling past people.”
Callum McGregor’s long-term replacement
Callum McGregor’s future has been a major talking point. Some fans are worried that he could even leave this summer.
But whether it’s now or in a few years, Celtic can’t continue to rely on their skipper, and sooner rather than later, he needs someone to come in and take his place.
Given that Kennedy describes himself as a six and someone who likes to keep the ball moving from deep, it would be brilliant if he was given the chance to prove if he can make that step up to the first team.
That’s not saying that Kennedy is the answer, but if more youngsters are handed a chance, then you might just see somebody knocking that door down and the academy finally showing why it’s worth having.
Plus, as many have seen with the likes of McGregor, Kieran Tierney, Liam Scales, Anthony Ralston, and Luke McCowan, it’s even better if you have a boyhood fan taking to the pitch week in and week out.
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