Darren O’Dea sends message to Celtic youngsters

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New Celtic youth coach Darren O’Dea has sent a firm message to the club’s youngsters and urged them to use his career as an example of what can be achieved with a good work ethic.

The Irishman, who recently joined as an Under-18 coach from Motherwell, described himself as “never the best player” but says it was his hard work that elevated him to Champions League level.

And he has asked the same of Celtic’s talented young pool of players which includes the likes of Karamoko Dembele and Armstrong Oko-Flex.

“I look at the young boys nowadays and they’ve got incredible talent,” he told the Daily Record.

“I had nowhere near that talent but what separated me from others was my mentality and attitude.

“I was never the best player but I was the one that would push further than anyone — and that gave me a top career.

“I went on to play in half a dozen Champions League games which were the highlights of my career because it was drummed into us in the academy that we were training to be Champions League players.”

O’Dea reached a good Celtic level without ever being too talented

O’Dea’s comments on hard work and desire are fitting for the first-team too. The Celtic team that he was part of under Gordon Strachan reached the Champions League last 16 on two separate occasions. That side had some terrific talents – like Shunsuke Nakamura and Aiden McGeady – yet you do feel the current side is better overall.

The likes of O’Dea, Gary Caldwell, Stephen McManus and Paul Telfer were regulars as Celtic beat some of the best sides in Europe. Current stars Odsonne Edouard and Kristoffer Ajer would probably walk into that team yet Neil Lennon’s Celtic side are stuck in the Europa League.

That’s not a slight on the effort or the work rate of the current side. But it does just go to show that talent isn’t everything. Some players can reach new heights if they’re placed in a team that suits them with like minded players.

Celtic do have some incredibly talented youngsters at the club. If O’Dea can get his message of hard work across to them then they could all be future first-team stars.