Celtic have had their fair share of wingers over the last decade.
Just this summer, Brendan Rodgers brought Sebastian Tounekti and Michel-Ange Balikwisha to Glasgow, having lost Nicolas Kuhn to Como.
The likes of Jota, Scott Sinclair and Daizen Maeda have lit it up from the wide areas for the Hoops over recent years, but it hasn’t all been plain sailing.
The club’s academy has been criticised of late, with a lack of talent making an impact on the Hoops’ first-team – but there have still been opportunities for some players.
And two who came through the side’s youth system faced off in the English Championship on Wednesday, with one of them grabbing the winner.
Rocco Vata on telling-off from ex-Celtic dad Rudi
The Championship is awash with former Celtic faces.
Just look at Birmingham, where Kyogo Furuhashi, Tomoki Iwata and Patrick Roberts all play under ex-Hoops assistant Chris Davies.
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But ex-Celtic kid Rocco Vata, who left the Hoops for Watford last summer, has been getting plenty of first-team football for the Hornets.
He scored the winner on Wednesday night against West Brom with a fine finish, and revealed after the game about the tellings off he’s been getting from his ex-Celtic father, Rudi.
He said: “My dad gave me a bit of stick for those misses, he told me just to keep it low and hard.
“Even if you hit it down the middle, the keeper can parry it. I just smashed it low and hard and it went in.
“I always try to bust a gut to make it to the box and thankfully it landed for me.
“I pride myself on being in the right place if the ball’s going to fall somewhere. I stay on my toes and then just hit the target.”
Vata operated on the left side of a midfield four in the match, which was the first home game for returning Watford boss Javi Gracia.
He is also recovering from an illness which led him to lose 6.5kg, and halted his progress this season.
With Vata having featured at youth level for Ireland, some are touting him for a first team call-up this season.
Rocco Vata vs Mikey Johnston
Starting on the other side on Wednesday was Mikey Johnston, whom Celtic fans will remember well.
Across seven years, Johnston made 93 appearances for the Hoops, scoring 13 goals. Despite receiving plenty of opportunities, he never quite held down a first team berth.
Johnston spent time out on loan at Vitoria Guimaraes in Portugal, before moving to West Brom in January 2024.
He joined the Baggies permanently that summer, and is now a regular for the Republic of Ireland national side, having declared for them in 2023.
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