Celtic fans have been used to watching academy players leave in their droves in recent years.
Unfortunately, Scottish football, and not even Celtic, can provide these upcoming stars the financial package that is dangled in front of them by English sides.
That was seemingly the case when Daniel Cummings left Celtic for West Ham last summer and joined up with their U21s on a pre-contract agreement.
Then-Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers made no secret of his frustration regarding the promising young striker’s decision to reject a new contract.
Without naming the player directly, Rodgers delivered a pointed message:
“The pathway is here for any top young player,” said Rodgers in January 2024.
“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.”
And now Cummings has endured a frustrating injury-hit debut campaign at West Ham, but there could be an unlikely light at the end of the tunnel.
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Academy players are leaving Celtic at an unprecedented rate…
Daniel Cummings’ injury-hit campaign at West Ham United
West Ham started the season with Graham Potter and ended it with Nuno Espirito Santo, who couldn’t keep them in the Premier League.
Despite the Hammers’ striker issues, including buying two forwards during the January transfer window, Cummings was nowhere near the first team.
The 20-year-old’s real frustration stems from spending large chunks of the campaign in the treatment room, an injury layoff that completely denied him the chance to make an impact in the youth ranks and catch the first-team manager’s eye.
Despite Cummings joining West Ham in July, he wouldn’t make an appearance until October, as he ended the campaign scoring in back-to-back Premier League 2 matches.
- Cummings’ games for West Ham’s U21s: 22
- Starts: 8
- Goals: 6
- Assists: 1
- Total minutes: 828
Does West Ham’s relegation provide Cummings with a chance?
It’s all about Cummings making a breakthrough and playing for the first team.
If he does that, then he will feel his move away from Celtic to the London Stadium was justified, even if he didn’t expect the Hammers to suffer relegation.
While going down will now provide the powers that be at West Ham with many headaches, it’s an opportunity for the former Celtic academy star to represent the first team.
You will sense that senior players will want to leave this summer, will need to leave for financial reasons, and that opens the door for the young upcoming stars in the academy to be given more of an opportunity.
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