Former Celtic youngster Barry Hepburn selected for Bayern Munich promotion

By David Walton

June 28, 2021

Former Celtic youngster Barry Hepburn has been chosen by Bayern Munich for promotion to the under-19 side this season.

Hepburn, 17, will now play alongside fellow ex-Lennoxtown man Liam Morrison in the under-19 setup. The announcement was made by Bayern last week.

The Bundesliga champions chose to push up as many as 17 under-17 players, Hepburn being one of them. Liam Morrison was given the same boost back in July 2020.

The Bayern under-19s only played four games last term, however. Due to the global pandemic, the under-19 campaign was curtailed, leaving Morrison without regular football. Yet, with fellow former Celt Hepburn in with him this season, a big year could lie ahead for both.

Celtic have had a raft of exciting young players leave the club over the last two years. Morrison and Hepburn’s progress shows exactly what we’re missing.

Barry Hepburn and his Bayern Munich success just another reason Ange Postecoglou needs to end the exodus

New Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou has already made it his priority to keep the best young players at the club. Morrison and Hepburn are two that got away in that regard.

Whilst it’s easy to point to the fact it’s Bayern Munich and say you can’t reject them, we hardly painted ourselves in an attractive light.

Over the last two years the road to the first-team has looked nigh on impossible. The select few that did come in and impress were never allowed to hold onto their places. The likes of Karamoko Dembele, Luca Connell, and even Adam Montgomery at the end of last season would have a right to ask questions.

FC Bayern campus, where Liam Morrison and Barry Hepburn hone their craft (Photo by Sebastian Widmann/Getty Images)

If Celtic were able to offer top youngsters a route into the first team, everything changes. The likes of Bayern may become a less attractive proposition because players know they can experience senior football at Parkhead.

This isn’t something that’s been clear to the academy players in the past. Upping sticks for pastures new? You can see why there’s been such a desire to do so in our academy ranks.

It remains to be seen if Morrison and Hepburn actually go all the way with Munich. Many will reach the under-19s and under-21s stage without making that final step. Fingers crossed the story goes differently for the ex-Celtic starlets.

In other news, the KV Mechelen boss has provided the latest on Celtic winger Marian Shved.