It’s fair to say that today was another big one for Luca Connell after he set Celtic Colts on their way to success against Partick Thistle this afternoon.
The Republic of Ireland youngster played a big part in Celtic’s pre-season camp – bagging an assist against Hibernian just days before the season kicked off. However, despite impressing supporters back in the summer, he’s still yet to feature once for the Hoops this season.
Chances to impress the manager for the youngsters have been extremely limited so far this term. The pressure on the club and manager combined with the high-stakes nature of the 10-in-a-row season has left little room for youth integration.
But today was a big chance for the likes of Connell, Stephen Welsh, and Cameron Harper to get themselves noticed by the boss as the Colts kicked off their Glasgow Cup campaign in style.
The Lennoxtown youngsters secured a powerful 4-0 win at Firhill against Partick, with Harper grabbing a brace alongside goals from Connell and Owen Moffatt respectively.
With the three points bagged, it’s understandable that there’s been plenty of debate regarding who should be brought into the senior side. It’s such an eye-catching result that questions are always going to be asked of who’s ready to make the step-up.
Remember, Connell has senior football experience to his name already. Before signing for the Hoops back in the summer of 2019, he had played 12 times for Bolton Wanderers in League One (Transfermarkt). He’s yet to be given his senior debut for Celtic, however, as he continues to ply his trade with the Colts.
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Given the amount of midfield talent ahead of him such as David Turnbull, Olivier Ntcham, and Ismaila Soro respectively, there are still plenty of options ahead of Connell in the pecking order who are waiting for opportunities.
So it appears unrealistic for him to simply be given a chance anytime soon. You can argue that Lennon isn’t in a position where he can afford such a luxury.
In any case, here’s a look at the fan reaction to Connell’s strike in today’s game as well as a clip of the goal:
https://twitter.com/CCEire97/status/1331282678965002241