Defender looks to follow in Watt's way

Marcus Fraser is hoping that Tony Watt can help throw open the door to the Celtic first team.

Watt was the talk of the town last Wednesday with his stunning goal against Barcelona but it didn’t come as a surprise to his former youth side team-mate.

Fraser and Watt helped Celtic to the u-19 double last season with Neil Lennon calling on both players- plus John Herron and Dylan McGeough- for bench duty in last week’s Champions League thriller.

“You just need to be patient and wait for your chance,” 18-year-old defender Fraser admitted. “Hopefully mine will come and I can take it in the same way as Tony.

“When I saw him running through on goal against Barca, I just knew the ball would end up in the net.

“I didn’t say anything to anyone, but I believed he would score. I’m delighted for him. He’s shown what young players can achieve.”

Despite sitting on the bench last week Fraser enjoyed the experience of watching Lionel Messi at close range.

Adam Matthews and co put the shackles on the world’s best player with Fraser enjoying the view from the dug out.

“You can’t ask for more than to see Messi up close,” the defender added. “I think he’s the best player in the world and he was only ten feet away from me.

“He didn’t have his best game at Celtic Park but it was still a pleasure to see him even though we stopped him from playing.

“I also came on against Real Madrid and that was another great experience. If that never happens again, then I can always look back on it and say that I played against them.

“But I’m not going to settle for that, I want to push on. I was up against Di Maria and, although we lost, we played well and proved ourselves against a great side.”

Fraser is on Scotland u-21 duty tonight in Portugal with a number of clubs believed to be looking to take him out on loan from Celtic in January.

CLICK HERE for which of Lenny’s Lions would make the Seville side

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