Celtic completed the signing of promising talent Lee O’Connor from Manchester United on Scottish Deadline Day.
The 19-year-old was at the English giants for three seasons but never managed a first-team appearance. However, just like with the summer signing of fellow Irishmen Jonathan Afolabi and Luca Connell, Celtic have seen an opportunity for the future.
We know very little about O’Connor. So we spoke to Harry Robinson from Manchester United website United In Focus to get a greater understanding.
Thanks for chatting to us Harry. First of all, how did O’Connor get on at Manchester United?
No problem. Lee joined United in 2016, coming over from Ireland. It was a relatively high-profile transfer for a young player because of the reputation he’d built in his home country. He did well and settled very quickly. He’s composed and professional, and that is reflected in his on-pitch performances as a leader and reliable player.
He’s captained Ireland at youth levels and that showed. Due to his versatility he never managed to excel in one single position and that means he fell behind younger full-backs at United like Ethan Laird and Brandon Williams and other centre-backs like Luca Ercolani and Teden Mengi. He was never really close to the first team and that’s part of the reason he’s joined Celtic.
Interesting stuff. What kind of central-defender have Celtic signed?
He’s excellent on the ball and his reading of the game is equally as good. That’s why he can play in midfield, too. That ability to play in a variety of positions and the fact he has done so throughout his youth career at United will mean the finished product of Lee O’Connor should be a well-rounded one.
He’s got good vision, can offer a limited amount in attack when playing at full-back. At only 5ft 7in, he’s not going to be the main aerial protector in defence wherever he’s playing.
How far do you think he can go in the game?
It’s a difficult one with players like Lee O’Connor. He was so reliable for United’s youth teams but for irregular watchers, he wouldn’t be the one standing out. He can go very far and start regularly for Celtic before ‘earning’ a move back to the Premier League or elsewhere.
A lot of his family are Celtic fans, like many Irish families, and United fans will be watching on closely. We’re not yet sure if there’s a buyback clause for United but I’m sure it was thought about.
He’ll develop well if given the right opportunities and Celtic would be wise to nail down a regular position so his versatility doesn’t hold him back any more.
How long do you think it will be before he makes an impact at Celtic?
He may be ready to start already. We don’t know because we haven’t seen him above under-23s level at United. He’s certainly got the mentality and attitude for senior football.
If he’s going to make it, he should be playing regularly by next season. That’ll be the barometer. But everyone at United is certainly hoping he does well, he was well-liked.
Our view
It’s interesting to hear that Harry reckons O’Connor could be ready to make the cut at Celtic almost immediately. To be fair, the kid is 19-years-old so he should be looking to make an impact in Scottish football relatively soon.
He will have received a strong footballing education down at Manchester United so hopefully that can stand him in good stead for the coming years. At 5ft 7in he’s particularly small for a centre-back but it is encouraging to hear that he reads the game well and is good with the ball at his feet.
It will be interesting to see where Celtic feel he is best suited to play.
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