Daniel Cummings’ time in Celtic’s first team was short-lived, but rather interesting.
After scoring a hatful of goals in the Lowland League, 23 goals in 28 matches, including six goals in eight UEFA Youth League games, Cummings was proving to be a huge talent for Celtic.
That road led to then-Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers handing Cummings his debut on the biggest of stages – against Aston Villa in the Champions League.
It would prove to be Cummings’s only appearance for the champions of Scotland before he joined West Ham United in the summer on a pre-contract agreement.
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West Ham don’t have a great track record of buying strikers; in fact, it’s pretty woeful.
During the David Sullivan era, discounting two recent recruits signed for a combined £40 million plus, they have purchased 57 forwards, and the majority have been failures.
That’s further proven by the fact that they signed Callum Wilson on a free in the summer, and now he is set to leave and have his contract terminated, including links to Celtic.
Given that Cummings is 19 and a free transfer, he has gone from Celtic’s academy straight into West Ham’s, but the start to his career in London has been tough.
As soon as he landed, he was injured, and it took him five months to make his first start for the U21s against Sporting Lisbon in December.
Since then, he has started to rack up the minutes.
- Games: 6
- Starts: 2
- Goals: 1
- Total minutes: 164
There is no chance Cummings plays for West Ham’s first team this season, despite their relegation battle, with the London club using a total of five strikers this term.
Two new signings – Valentín “Taty” Castellanos and Pablo Felipe – captain Jarrod Bowen, the now-AC Milan player Niclas Fullkrug, and the now-Celtic-linked Wilson.
Perhaps relegation to the Championship for the Hammers, given that they are seven points adrift of safety, might open the door for the player to push his way into the senior side.
Brendan Rodgers’ comments about Cummings continue to ring loud…
Cummings didn’t leave Celtic with everyone exactly pleased with his call.
Remember, he made his debut in January, but his contract was going to expire in the summer, and the Hoops wanted him to sign a new deal and commit his future to the club.
As soon as Celtic knew he wasn’t going to do that, he was never seen in the first team picture again, and Rodgers wasn’t a happy man.
Weeks after handing Cummings his debut, Rodgers sent out this subtle message and fired shots at the lack of patience shown by those coming through.
“All the young players at Celtic have the best example you could ever have in Callum McGregor, and of the other players,” said Rodgers to BBC Radio Scotland in February.
“You have to be patient, you are at a Champions League and a massive club. So, patience is going to be important. If you don’t have that, then it’s going to take you elsewhere.
“People will look at the club. The pathway. The pathway is here for any top young player. It’s whether you have the patience and the demands professionally to cope with being here; if not, then your representatives may take the chance to move you on and pick up a few extra quid somewhere else.”
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