The brightest prospects that never made it at Celtic

It started off on twitter on Friday night and sparked lots of names and responces- who was the best Celtic prospect not to make it. Instantly it can be split in two with some players not making it at any level while others moved off from the hoops and enjoyed a decent career or a good level of success elsewhere. Back in the late sixties Celtic had the Quality Street Gang which produced some of the best talents of a generation while others fell by the wayside perhaps hindered by the burden of expectations. There is no magic formula when you look at a team picture to determine which players will make the big time. Kieran Tierney's rise has been well documented but in all of those pictures of him growing up there are five or six team mates in the background that have fallen by the wayside. Under Brendan Rodgers it seems that home-grown players are being given the strongest encouragement with Tierney, Callum McGregor and James Forrest an essential part of the first team squad with half a dozen led by Tony Ralston looking to follow their path. For every Paul McStay that is produced there are much more John Sludden's and Ronnie Coyle's. For Aiden McGeady there is a Jim O'Brien with the big breakthrough all down to ability, circumstances and a dose of good fortune. JOHN HALPIN Was a team-mate with Charlie Nicholas coming through the ranks at Celtic and Scotland. While Nicholas took his chance with both hands Halpin found it impossible to make the same impression although he did score on his top team debut against Queen of the South in January 1982. Injuries didn't help his chances with a low key move to Carlisle United in 1984 where he enjoyed some success and popularity but was again hampered by injury. JAMES KEATINGS Was the outstanding youth prospect, along-with Filip Twardzik, to emerge as the club academy started to come to fruition. Keats was alongside James Forrest in terms of pedigree but as he struck the goals Anthony Stokes and Gary Hooper started to score for fun in Neil Lennon's top team. Again injury struck, in this case the dreaded cruciate and over a year was lost in his career. Post Celtic he has enjoyed success at Hamilton, Hearts and Hibs and is now looking to continue that with Dundee United. DOUGIE MCGUIRE An incredible talent of the mid-eighties, a real jinking winger who had all the tricks and skill in the world. He seemed close to the breakthrough in season 87/8 but the arrival of Joe Miller signalled a raising of the stakes with McGuire moving on to Coventry for just £40,000. He returned to the world of Ayrshire juniors and dipped in and out of the SFL with clubs such as Queen of the South and Albion Rovers. SIMON FERRY Was brought to Celtic from Dundee at the age of 15 and alongside Charlie Grant looked certain of a long term future at the club. Progress was badly hampered by injury, Grant was forced to retire, but Ferry battled on and enjoyed a decent level of success at Swindon alongside Paul Caddis under Paolo di Canio. His career has almost turned full circle with a coaching role at Celtic running in tandem with a booming media career where he is interviewing many of his footballing peers. ISLAM FERUZ One of life's great mysteries and miseries. The kid from Somali was taken under the wing of Tommy Burns with Celtic fending off serious offers from England to work with the kid old beyond his years. Eventually Chelsea waved a five year professional contract which suited his advisors more than the players development. A string of failed loan deals and run ins with the police has turned his 'career' into a case study of how it can all go wrong. JOHN PAUL MCBRIDE Was the brightest prospect as Tommy Burns called in Willie McStay to take charge of youth development, the Hamilton boy looked like he was being groomed to take over from Paul McStay. The high stakes of the mid to late nineties created a risk free environment with St Johnstone paying £100,000 in 1999 for the midfielder. It never quite clicked for him in Perth with his career heading downwards with spells at Derry City, Aarhus, Stirling Albion and Stenhousemuir. GERRY BRITTON Was an incredible goalscorer for the reserve teams of the late eighties but the cheque book was forever bringing in strikers like Tommy Coyne, Darius Dziekanowski and even John Hewitt. After over 100 reserve team goals he left for Partick Thistle in 1992 where he achieved legendary status and also enjoyed good spells at Dunfermline and Dundee. With a degree in law he looked set for a career outside of the game but returned to Partick Thistle and is heading up their ambitious youth programme. VIK DAVIDSON Was rated alongside Kenny Dalglish, with his fair hair there was also a physical likeness. He threatened to make the breakthrough a number of times but left on a free transfer in 1975 for Motherwell and scored a few times against Celtic. In March 1979 Billy McNeill signed Davidson from Blackpool and he played a part in the famous 4-2 title success at the end of that season but later moved off to Phoenix Inferno and still lives in the USA. TEDDY BJARNASSON The first in a batch of young foreign players to be brought into the club academy the skilful midfielder with an eye for goal looked to have a real chance. Gordon Strachan agreed and put him on the bench for the 2007 Scottish Cup Final ahead of Thomas Gravesen. Things failed to kick on the following season with IFK Gothenburg his next club on a wonder through Scandinavia that included three appearances in Iceland's run to the last eight of the 2016 European Championships. PETER MACKIE Another fair haired 'next Kenny Dalglish' emerging in the late seventies alongside Ben Casey. He made a breakthrough of sorts in the disastrous 77/78 season and saw his progress blocked by the arrival of Davie Provan in September 78. Just over a year later he moved to Dundee and went on to enjoy spells with St Mirren and Partick Thistle.

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