Celtic are a club that is known over the globe as a worldwide brand with huge commercial reach. The club is also renowned for its deep-rooted heritage and its links to Ireland.
And former Celtic goalkeeper Pat Bonner has revealed that he has spoken to majority shareholder, Dermot Desmond about establishing more links in the country.
Bonner has an ambitious plan to increase our influence and put a foothold in Ireland to improve our chances of recruiting the best young talents from the country.
Bonner said [Celtic TV], “I’ve been talking to Dermot Desmond a few times I mentioned that we should have a club over there. We should have a club in the League of Ireland and run the whole thing.
“That will be lovely, a feeder club. Man City do it all over the world, why can we not do it? I know we’ve got a connection with Shamrock Rovers too with what Dermot Desmond’s doing.
“But, buy your own club, that would be fantastic, wouldn’t it? Listen, the club is special. It’s special. It’s got that connection with Ireland that’ll never change.
“It’s in the history, it’s in the DNA.”
It does sound like a no-brainer from Bonner. Celtic’s long-standing popularity in Ireland already makes them an instant attraction not only in the eyes of the Irish public but also for any aspiring young footballer.
Knowing that there is a club in the country with direct links to the club would make it appealing for young footballers with the long-term ambition of playing for Celtic.
Of course, Desmond already has a 25% share in Shamrock Rovers [Irish Times] and we currently have Johnny Kenny on loan at the club. Whether or not Desmond would be open to taking on another project in Ireland is completely unknown.
But there is no denying that it would be a great move by the club should we have the inclination to take that idea forward and one that could pay dividends for us in years to come.
In other news, Celtic announce signing of Hyunjun Yang; Brendan Rodgers and player reaction, contract details
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