One aspect of the current football lockdown that has not really been dealt with his how the situation will affect the up and coming players in the squads, the Academy players, for example.
Celtic have some very promising Academy players on their books, the likes of Karamoko Dembele and Armstrong Oxoflex have shone this season for the Academy and Reserve sides.
It is a real pity for these players and the rest of the squad that at the moment they are unable to continue their development, as football locks down.
Coaches must find way to help players
However, Celtic’s coaches must find a way for the players to still prosper during their time away from the game. This could be the most important period of these young player’s careers, especially if football is off the agenda for months to come.
The club should prepare individual training programmes for each player in the youth system, to ensure that they can still work on their fitness and techniques during the down time.
That can include exercises that can be done at home, and work that can be done in isolation, away from other people, but can still build-up fitness – jogging on the spot, or even ‘keepie-uppies’.
Approach may seem drastic, but is worthwhile
This might seem like a bit of a drastic approach. However, the current situation that faces Celtic and every other club in Scotland is also drastic.
It is also a situation that clubs have never had to deal with before, in the modern era at least.
Obviously clubs will have to be careful that players don’t catch the global epidemic which is sweeping the world, but one way or another life will have to go on at the football clubs.
Making sure that Celtic’s stars of the future are in good shape will perhaps be even more important that ever this season, as it could take a while for senior players to get up to speed and fully fit following the lockdown.
The starlets could perhaps be used in the first-team by the end of the season. Hopefully the club are making sure that the players who could be playing for Celtic in five years time will be ready to go when football returns.
What can Celtic do to maintain the level of excellence for their young players? Will these players be first-team ready when the time comes? Share your thoughts below with a comment in our new discussion forum…
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