Liam Morrison has admitted that it broke his gran’s heart to see him quit Celtic for Bayern Munich.
The defender came through the ranks at Celtic, played for the first team against Pinkafeld in Austria during the summer but turned down a professional contract to move to Germany.
At the age of 16 it’s a massive move to up sticks for the Bavarian capital but Germany is becoming an increasingly attractive destination for young British kids.
Over decades the Germans have mastered how to nurture kids through to first team professionals with Morrison waving his family behind for the most important years of his career.
“I went to all the Champions League games with my gran (Francis Dickson), she is an absolute diehard Celtic fan.” the teenager told the Daily Mail. “We were right at the front of the stand for the Bayern game.
“Gran is really gutted to see me leave. It was her dream to see me walk out at Parkhead to play for Celtic but she understood that Bayern was what I wanted.
“It was hard for the family at the beginning, when I left but they realise it’s an opportunity I had to take and that it was impossible for me to turn down.”
He added: “When I first saw Jadon (Sancho) moving from Manchester City to Borussia Dortmund I was surprised but over the last two or three years he has really impressed and is starting to kick on a lot.
“If he was still at Manchester City I’m not sure he would be in the place he is now. German culture football-wise is how I want to play. I love the way the centre-backs play it from the back. They are so comfortable on the ball and when they need to defend they defend. Jadon made the big step and it clearly worked for him. For me there is nothing to be afraid of.”
While Morrison slots into life at Bayern, initially playing in theur u-19 side his former team-mates at Celtic face a less certain and structured future.
After two matches in the Tunnocks Challenge Cup Tommy McIntyre’s squad have three Reserve Cup matches between now and the end of April with no competitive form of football available in Scotland beyond u-18 level.
A revived Glasgow Cup will provide eight additional fixtures but playing against Clyde and Queens Park is unlikely to develop players like Ewan Henderson, Stephen Welsh and Karamoko Dembele into first team contenders.
