Former Celtic youths bounce back

Former Celt’s Carlo Monti and Michael Tidser have been signed up by Dundee and Rotherham United respectively.

Both players were released in 2008 from the Celtic youth side but have battled their way back into the game.

Tidser has been one of the best performers in the First Division over the last three seasons at Morton prompting a £50,000 deal to move south.

Monti has had a more chequered career and dropped out of football entirely after a season alongside Tidser at Morton.

After being spotted by Pollok Juniors he was converted from being a left-back into a striker notching almost a goal a game last season.

That brought him to the attention of John Brown who offered him a week’s trial before impressing enough in a closed doors friendly to be offered a deal by the First Division side.

After that match Brown said: “Carlo has not looked out of place.

“He scored on Saturday and could have had two or three more as he got into such good goalscoring positions. You can see he’s got an eye for a goal.”

Monti had been due to go on holiday to Egypt with his girlfriend but had to pass up on that break to take his chance with Dundee.

Speaking about his new deal Monti admitted: “I’m going to give this my best shot and Dundee have been good enough to offer me the opportunity to prove I’m good enough. That’s all I’ve wanted – a chance.

“It would have been daft to have said, ‘OK but I’m going on holiday.’ That would have sent out the wrong message.

“As soon as John left the meeting with my agent and me we spoke about it and I said, ‘I’ll have to ditch the holiday’.

“I couldn’t spend an hour with John Brown asking me to show I was committed to making it as a player again and then say to him, ‘Sorry, I’m away to Egypt!’

“I think he was pleased that I have ditched it. It proved to him I want to take the chance he’s given me.”