Celtic youths

Who will be the 2018 Celtic Academy graduates?

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With transfer speculation at full pace it would be easy to overlook perhaps the best source of first team players at Celtic.

Kieran Tierney, Callum McGregor and James Forrest are the standard bearers for the club academy with a handful of other prospects knocking at the door to reach that level.

Since he arrived at the club Brendan Rodgers has made it a priority to bring through players well schooled in the club with Tierney, Forrest and McGregor vindicating that policy in the Champions League home match against Bayern Munich.

The Irishman has given débuts to a number of players but it’s only once they’ve had a run of a dozen games or played in the Champions League that they can be considered top team material.

Tierney, Forrest and McGregor have shown that there are different routes into the first team to rack up over 100 appearances as well as accumulate an impressive medal tally.

The demands and expectations of the Celtic support are sky high but as Tierney has demonstrated when you bring a player through the system there is a special bond and identity that can bring about meteoric progress.

ANTHONY RALSTON

Has already put a marker down this season but hasn’t featured since September due to injury.

Brendan Rodgers loves the defenders physique which certainly looks ready for the rigours of playing every week.

There is a feeling that Mikael Lustig may be on the decline but Ralston will need to be on top of his game to takeover from the popular Swede.

CALVIN MILLER

Put in a great display at Rugby Park at the start of the season but hasn’t had the chance to build on that.

Getting a reliable deputy for Kieran Tierney would be a big boost but Rodgers has seemed reluctant to give Miller more game time despite picking him out for a surprise debut last December.

It could be a ,loan deal to a Premiership club is needed to give him the run of games needed to prove his worth.

MIKEY JOHNSTON

Has made great in-roads and could be given an unexpected chance with Patrick Roberts and Jonny Hayes both out injured.

Rodgers picked him out last season for promotion and has continued that this season with a couple of starting appearances.

He has all the skill and trickery that you would look for in a winger or number 10, the year ahead could be the spell where he realises the promise that he has shown all through his academy days.

JACK AITCHISON

Not too much has been seen of Jack this season with three more experienced strikers jousting for a first team place.

If the three first team strikers remain it would make sense for Aitchison to get out on loan with the best likelihood of first team action coming at a Championship side.

Next month he will turn 18, his early goal for the first team seems a while ago now with the next 12 month a chance to really accelerate his development.

KERR MCINROY

A bit of a dark horse but has been making great strides over the last two seasons from u-17 side into the Development League.

Midfield is an incredibly competitive area of the park but McInroy was given a taste of first team action in pre-season at home to Lyon.

This month could see Eboue Kouassi, Liam Henderson, Kundai Benyu, Joe Thomson, Regan Hendry and Mark Hill moving out which could clear the decks for McInroy to pick up a top team appearance or two.

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