Celtic defender Colby Donovan has been impressing fans with his displays in the Hoops’ first team this season.
Donovan has been one of the Celtic Academy’s breakthrough players and has made 22 appearances for the first team.
The young defender has performed admirably as Donovan put in great performances for Celtic in 2025.
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In fact, the young fullback has been so impressive that the CIES Football Observatory have ranked where Donovan sits in the best young defenders in the world outside of the top five European leagues.
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Colby Donovan ranked 7th globally as best young full back
Donovan appears to be in glittering company as the young Celtic defender makes the top 10 for the world’s best U20 full-backs.
The report from the CIES Football Observatory places Donovan seventh in the list:
- 1. Juan Morán 19.4 yrs CD Godoy Cruz (ARG)
- 2. Adem Avdić 18.2 yrs Crvena Zvezda (SRB)
- 3. Patricio Pacífico 19.7 yrs Defensor SC (URU)
- 4 Jayden Meghoma 19.4 yrs Rangers FC (SCO)
- 5 Samuel Díaz 19.9 yrs Millonarios FC (COL)
- 6 Oscar Verhoeven 19.5 yrs San Diego FC (USA)
- 7 Colby Donovan 19.2 yrs Celtic FC (SCO)
- 8 Soichiro Mori 18.4 yrs Nagoya Grampus (JPN)
- 9 Dominik Szala 19.6 yrs Górnik Zabrze (POL)
- 10 Ionuţ Cercel 19.1 yrs FCSB (ROM)
The report also values Donovan at over €5m as the young Celtic defender impresses the worldwide football ranking site.
Celtic hero Peter Grant is a huge fan of Colby Donovan
Celtic icon Peter Grant has already declared his admiration for Colby Donovan in the youngster’s maiden season in the Hoops first team.
Speaking back in December, Grant lauded Donovan’s attacking threat as he labelled the defender’s crossing as better than Sebastian Tounekti.
The Celtic hero said, “I go back and I think, and I look at the team on Saturday and I’m talking about the two wing backs.
“If I’m looking at Celtic on Saturday and I come in as a manager, I want to go to back five as in three, but two wing backs. The two guys I would have had out wide, would have been Colby Donovan and Kieran Tierney.
“For one reason, there’s a left foot on one side, Kieran Tierney puts the best cross in the game, and Colby Donovan is one of the best crossers at the football club.
“The two wingers at this moment in time, Yang and Tounekti are not good crossers of the ball.
“So if you’re playing that system, you have to be putting crosses but quality in the box.”
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