Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp reckons things are looking up for Scottish football, declaring it a ‘cool’ place to scout for players again.
The Reds already have Scotland captain Andy Robertson as a valued member of their first-team squad, with another couple of Scots joining their ranks this year – former Aberdeen prospect Calvin Ramsey and Celtic academy graduate Ben Doak.
Doak made the switch for a small cross-border compensation fee and has been making an impressive impact in the Liverpool youth set-up, scoring and setting up goals domestically and in the UEFA Youth League. He looks to have significant potential.
Referencing that deal, Klopp also praised the current state of Celtic and Rangers, ahead of Liverpool hosting the Ibrox side in the Champions League tomorrow night.
As quoted by The Scotsman, the Anfield boss said: “Rangers and Celtic are obviously the stand-out teams in the league, that’s not news, but how they do in Europe and Rangers’ run in Europe last year was exceptional.
“Celtic are doing really well and the Scottish game is full of talent. We have another Scottish boy in Calvin and another big talent in the under-18s (Doak), so it’s a cool place to scout again.
“That’s a good sign for Scottish football. It may be a bit disappointing that they’re not still in Scotland, but if a player is really developing, it’s not unlikely that he at least gives it a try in the Premier League. But it’s, for sure, a much better moment than four or five years ago and that’s down to the players.”
Celtic’s reputation as a destination to improve and ready prospects for moves to richer leagues has developed well over the last 10 years, mostly after buying in talents from elsewhere.
The next step is ensuring more Academy stand-outs such as Doak stay on a positive pathway and feel confident enough to commit their futures to the Bhoy, pushing for a sustained first-team breakthrough. If a few more Kieran Tierneys can emerge from Lennoxtown, it would be massive for the direction of the club.
Klopp is right. Scotland is increasingly being viewed as a country to find value and talent in – the Bhoys should be at the forefront of maintaining that reputation over the next decade.
In other news, Reports: Celtic’s Champions League opponents facing ‘indefinite’ absence of key man.
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