Celtic are just two games into their domestic season and already things are looking bring in two separate competitions. The Hoops demolished Heart of Midlothian 4-1 in their opening Scottish Premiership fixture before going on to thump Kilmarnock 5-0 in the Scottish League Cup on Tuesday.
What was most impressive about the Killie win was the fact that Brendan Rodgers named a heavily rotated side to face the Ayrshire team. Yes there were established stars like Leigh Griffiths and Tom Rogic playing but youngster like Kundai Benyu, Eboue Kouassi and Anthony Ralston all came into the fold. Demonstrating how inexperienced the XI was, the four man defence had an average age of just 19 on the night.
With Celtic not exactly rushing into recruitment in the previous two transfer windows, it seems a strategy of Rodgers to bring through the young talent he already has at his disposal as back-up for the recognised stars at the club.
It’s a strategy that could prove to be a masterstroke if some of the players continue to develop at their current rate.
We picked out the FOUR young Celtic stars that have a chance of taking their Celtic careers to the next level this season…
Anthony Ralston
Having only made two starts for the club, 18-year-old Anthony Ralston is already making quite a name for himself.
With an impressive peformance against St Johnstone last season, Ralston again got his chance to shine on Tuesday night against Kilmarnock, netting from a Leigh Griffiths corner to score his first ever Celtic goal.
He didn’t stop there though, also providing two assists for his team-mates, including a classy run and cross for Stuart Armstrong towards the end of the game.
Already a strong and physical player, with the ability and pace to be a problem in the final third, establish first-team Mikael Lustig has a job on his hands this season if he is to keep the youngster at bay. You’d imagine that Brendan Rodgers will rely on Lustig’s experience in big matches but in week-to-week Scottish Premiership matches, Ralston has a great chance of making more starts this season and becoming something of a regular in a Celtic shirt, despite his young age.
Comparisons are being made to Kieran Tierney and while he has a long way to go to prove he can reach those levels at a young age, it’s encouraging for Hoops fans to see another youngster come through at full-back, on the opposite side.
Calvin Miller
Having played the majority of his youth career in forward positions, since Brendan Rodgers has arrived at the club, Calvin Miller has been undergoing a re-training into a left-back position. With Emilio Izaguirre leaving the club, there’s never been a better time for a youth player to come through and provide cover for Kieran Tierney in that slot, and the youngster did his chances of further starts no harm at all with an accomplished performance against Kilmarnock this week in the Scottish League Cup.
Given his natural ability to try and impact on a game in the final third, he fits in perfectly to Brendan Rodgers’ system and showed a maturity beyond his years in the League Cup clash, with excellent positioning and constantly seeking out teammates to recycle possession through.
Unless the Hoops sign a new left-back, he’s almost guaranteed more starts in the first-team this season. You wouldn’t consider Tierney injury prone but given the combative nature of his play, he’s always getting himself into battles on the pitch that see him pick up knocks, bruises and the odd missing tooth.
This could be the season that sees Miller make the breakthrough into the first-team squad on a regular basis.
Kristoffer Ajer
Kristoffer Ajer, like Calvin Miller, is another who has undergone a re-positioning as a player since Brendan Rodgers arrived at Celtic Park. Joining from Norwegian side Start, he has played the majority of his professional appearances as a defensive midfielder.
However, his height, physicality and calm nature has made him a leading contender to partner Jozo Simunovic in the coming years at the heart of that Celtic defence.
Gaining vital experience in the position on loan at Kilmarnock last season, the youngster has stepped in to the centre of defence in recent weeks and delivered a couple of excellent performances.
With Dedryck Boyata susceptible to injury and Erik Sviatchenko not pushing on from his excellent first eight months at the club, the 19-year-old has a real chance of becoming a mainstay in Rodgers’ starting XI, as the ball-playing defender he’s been seeking.
Kieran Tierney
It may seem strange at first glance to include Kieran Tierney on a a list that is about who can be the most improved at Celtic over the coming season but that says more about the ceiling of Tierney’s potential more than anything else.
He added more strings to his bow this Tuesday night, excelling as a left-sided central defender and taking on the responsibility of being the Hoops captain. The 20-year-old even scored a 40-yard, top-corner rocket past goalkeeper Jamie MacDonald that had football fans everywhere in awe.
After two stellar seasons at the club, the coming one is set to be his first year and he could go from being one of Celtic’s top performer to THE main man in the Celtic team.
He has the backing of the support, his manager and most importantly seems dedicated and passionate about his team. He has the makings of a future Celtic captain and we’d expect to see him take the captain’s armband more often this season if Scott Brown misses the odd match or two.
