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The development pathway

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By on CQN BLOG & Comments

When Sebastian Tounekti talks about his developmental journey it is reminiscent of Matt O’Riley: “There was a lot of interest when I was young, but I wanted to go through the first team way.”  Matt left Fulham and was out the game for a period as he searched for first team football.

Sebastian added, “I know many players who go to a youth team and then they stay in the youth team for many years…..  Maybe they don’t have the development, especially in the physical way…..  I wanted to stay with the first team and play with men.”

I heard the same sentiment from Hamilton Accies directors around 20 years ago, when, with very few resources, they developed three players who graduated for the English Premier League.  The pathway is as important as the innate talent.  When Scottish football was at its most effective in developing players, a pathway like the one Sebastian talks about was our only option.

Colby Donovan will be an interesting test case for Celtic.  He has just turned 19 and made a decent start to his professional career.  If Celtic have an effective pathway, he should be the man to replace Alistair Johnston, when the Canadian eventually leaves.  At the very least, he should be first reserve at right back for the remainder of this season.

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  3. Rubicon on

    Today’s Times has an article on the prospect of Marks and Spencer’s Chairman staying beyond the recommended 9 years in post. Here’s a paragraph from it.

     

     

     

    To be clear, this is nothing to do with age, but length of tenure on the board. The nine-year gold standard is because shareholders worry about chairs getting stale and complacent. Long-time incumbents increasingly resist change because that often means reversing or abandoning the ideas they introduced in the first place. They lose their independence and their appetite to challenge. The culture ossifies. Power becomes entrenched. Boards become packed with yes-men and women.

     

     

     

    Most of our board have been in place for around 25 years

  4. Chairbhoy on

    The Celtic reserves were great back in the day, a real mix of development talent, players out of form and players returning from injury.

     

     

    It gave them all a platform to play at a relatively high level.

     

     

    Celtic B, the loan path, Lennoxtown recuperation all seem lacking relatively speaking.

     

     

    Hail Hail

  5. The Blogger Formerly Known As GM on

    It will be certainly be interesting to watch the young lad’s development. I hope he grabs his opportunity with both hands.

     

     

    However, whether he becomes Celtic’s starting right back for years to come or is sold for 10s of millions, we shouldn’t forget he would be nowhere near the team had it not been for injuries to AJ and Ralston.

     

     

    That’s called luck, not a strategy.

  7. Saint Stivs on

    CELTIC V HIBERNIAN

     

    WILLIAM HILL PREMIERSHIP | CELTIC PARK | SEPTEMBER 27 | KO 3PM

     

     

    – Tickets for this match are now sold out –

  8. Saint Stivs on

    FK CRVENA ZVEZDA V CELTIC TICKETS

     

    UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE | RAJKO MITIC STADIUM | WED, SEP 24 | 8PM

     

     

    TICKET INFORMATION

     

    The club has now received an allocation of 2,500 tickets for this fixture.

     

    Tickets are on sale to eligible Season Ticket holders who attended three or more of the last 12 European away matches.

     

    Buy Online

     

    Prices

     

    Tickets for this match are priced £10.

  10. PeteTheBeat on

    I have no problem with Ralston in the SPL but not against European big boys.

     

     

    Certainly gives his all and he could o a job for a Championship side chasing promotion in England.

  11. Nick on

    Saint Stivs on 18th September 2025 12:23 pm

     

    now, what is delaying the annual report ?

     

     

    ==============

     

     

    They need more time to count the cash ?

  12. dessybhoy on

    I see Haughey thinks the support has been spoiled this last 30years, someone else who does recognise a stale unambitious club, how much success in that time in Europe Wullie?

  13. lets all do the huddle on

    Tickets for this match are priced £10

     

    —

     

     

    now thats what i call a sensible pricing strategy

  14. bournesouprecipe on

    SAINT STIVS on 18TH SEPTEMBER 2025 12:23 PM

     

     

    now, what is delaying the annual report ?

     

     

    —————————-

     

     

    They’re gonna need a bigger spreadsheet?

  15. Saint Stivs on

    pedantic but ………….. the annual report tells us what the cash was at 30th June, surely you just look at the bank balance statement on that day.

     

     

    I hope no one has mislaid the atm slip

  18. The Battered Bunnet on

    “That’s called luck, not a strategy.”

     

     

    You’re quite right, but serendipity features large in every successful venture – and many that failed.

     

     

    For example, did you know that Gary Hooper owes his Celtic career – in part – to Duncan Ferguson’s dodgy lumbosacral joint? Bear with me…

     

     

    Start of season 2002/03, Ferguson – by then back at Everton – was out injured, his back/sciatic nerve giving him gyp. Davie Moyes took a punt and started a 16 year old in his place against Spurs. The kid was a revelation and went on to have a stellar career with Man Utd and England.

     

     

    Some time later… Summer 2010, Neil Lennon is manager of Celtic, his first season in his first management job. He asks his chief scout – John Park – to find him a ‘Wayne Rooney’ type.

     

     

    Enter the Hoopster.

     

     

    And there you have it, what was bad luck for big Dunc was ultimately influential in the good luck that brought a young Gary Hopper to Celtic.

     

     

    OK, it’s rather unconvincing, a little contrived, but the reality is that virtually every successful pro footballer got his big break when the first choice seasoned pro for his position got injured or suspended. It’s in part why I’m narked that we’ve left our new striker Shin out of the EL squad. He won’t get a chance (although Johnny Kenny will).

     

     

    Which prompted me to check, and would you believe that four of the eight defenders in our EL squad are currently injured or in recovery? I expect we’ll see a few kids get a chance to show what they’ve got.

  19. Saint Stivs on

    “That’s called luck, not a strategy.”

     

     

    read KT in “this is how it feels to be celtic”

     

     

    he was last bhoy satanding when he got to play, everyone else was injured,

     

     

    he even thought he was on his way out. at 16.

  20. Glenowen on

    Agree, player development is crucial for a club such as Celtic.

     

    We can’t simplify hoover up the best talent from more organised clubs.

     

    Equally, a fully functioning recruitment model is required to supplement the squad with a mix of experience and potential.

     

    It all blends together.

     

    We have a fair bit of work to do on the football side of things

     

    Financially and commercially, we are far more advanced.

  27. Chairbhoy on

    Glenowen @ 1:03 pm,

     

     

    Yes, most would agree we are not great at it, yet if you look at the current squad make up it is interesting.

     

     

    I’ve broken down to Academy players, bought in development players, players down the development path, loanees, bought in first team players.

     

     

    Doohan – Academy

     

     

    Murray – Academy

     

     

    Ralston – Academy

     

     

    Donovan – Academy

     

     

    Tierney – Academy

     

     

    McGregor – Academy

     

     

    Forrest – Academy

     

     

    Development Players…

     

     

    Sinisalo

     

     

    Inamura

     

     

    Osmand

     

     

    Yamada

     

     

    Kenny

     

     

    Players down our development path

     

     

    Scales

     

     

    Paulo Bernardo

     

     

    Engels

     

     

    HJ Yang

     

     

    Loanees

     

     

    Simpson-Pusey

     

     

    Sarrachi

     

     

    Bought in First team players

     

     

    Schmeichel – Free

     

     

    A. Johnston – 3 mn

     

     

    Trusty – 6 mn

     

     

    Carter-Vickers – 6 mn

     

     

    Hatate – 1.5 mn

     

     

    McCowan – 1 mn

     

     

    Nygren – 1.5 mn

     

     

    Jota – 9 mn

     

     

    Maeda – 1.5 mn

     

     

    Tounekti – 5.5 mn

     

     

    Balikwisha – 5 mn

     

     

    Iheanacho – Free

     

     

    Think it’s interesting when you look at it from that perspective, even then, Brendan Rodgers was talking about player development with Seb Tounekti, “a good age”.

     

     

    Hail Hail

  30. McPhail Bhoy on

    lets all do the huddle on 18th September 2025 12:40 pm

     

    Tickets for this match are priced £10

     

    —

     

    now thats what i call a sensible pricing strategy

     

     

    ______________________________________________________________________________

     

     

    LADTH, are you talking about the ticket price for the away game against Crvena Zvezda in Serbia? With a bit of help from Google, it looks like average monthly wages there are about a third of what they are in Scotland. Does anyone happen to know what the cost per ticket is for our Home Europa package?

  31. Back to Basics - Glass Half Full on

    Rubicon on 18th September 2025 11:42 am

     

     

    past performance is no guarantee of future returns. LoL

     

     

    ——

     

     

    😅😅

  33. Back to Basics - Glass Half Full on

    fourstonecoppi @ 1:39 pm

     

     

    Trump to declare Antifa a terrorist organisation

     

     

    Jesus H

     

     

    ——

     

     

    Yip.

     

     

    But try as he might to convince himself and others ….

     

     

    … he’ll never be 6′ 3″

  34. Back to Basics - Glass Half Full on

    Re Colby (or any other kid), luck can play a part.

     

     

    Idle suggestion for just one plank of any published, transparent recruitment and squad management strategy.

     

     

    We’ll get our first 22 bods from the market

     

     

    … and no more.

     

     

    If injuries occur, we won’t backfill the squad with short-term journeymen who often overstay their welcome.

     

     

    Instead AS A MATTER OF FORMAL POLICY, we’ll go to our own well (always) … as mitigation.

  35. The Blogger Formerly Known As GM on

    I was looking at that earlier- I think it’s £45 per individual ticket for general sale.

     

     

    Season ticket holders have until 5pm today to buy a package with unsold tickets going on sale for individual matches at 2.30pm on Sept. 23rd.

     

     

    From whatI can tell, the Europa 4 game package at £35 per ticket will not be available on general sale.

     

     

    Happy to be corrected👍

  36. Chairbhoy on

    Back to Basics – Glass Half Full on 18th September 2025 1:55 pm

     

     

    That’s true.

     

     

    Brendan Rodgers: “It’s my first look. My first look is always inside [the club]” 23-Aug-’25

     

     

    Hail Hail

     

     

    Hail Hail

  37. hated junglist on

    Has Brendan indicated that maybe some of the blame for Celtic’s failure to get to the CL might actually be his fault?

  38. hated junglist on

    The Blogger Formerly Known As GM on 18th September 2025 1:58 pm

     

    I was looking at that earlier- I think it’s £45 per individual ticket for general sale

     

    123456789

     

    £45 for a Europa League ticket – £56 for a Celtic old firm ticket?

     

    Shhhhhhhh

  41. Saint Stivs on

    What shareholders can do about Dermot Desmond’s dominance DAVID LOW with ACSOM Celtic State of Mind

     

     

    took me a while to catch this up.

     

     

    I think the bold david knows more than he is letting on.

     

     

    i look forward to his group if he can get to 5 million shares,

     

     

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqIUAMeqHPE

  42. bigbhoy on

    Am I getting this right?

     

     

    Fans are unhappy that the club is expected to return excellent financial results. We will again not pay any dividends on Ordinary shares. The profits will be retained and available to spend.

     

     

    Now I can understand that complaints for lack of spending on new players, stadium improvement but the money not spent is still there

     

     

    Is the idea not that the business makes profit to be spent on the football operations. Therefore Profits are not the issue to criticise the board for but in fact should be for not spending and retaining cash.

     

     

    I suspect that if we announced a Main stand redevelopment then we would still be out of champions League

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