Jack Aitchison is hoping to take the same route as Callum McGregor and Ryan Christie into the Celtic first team.
While the hoops line up at Hampden today the teenage striker will be reflecting on Forest Green Rovers’ derby clash with Cheltenham.
Forest Green are only in their third season in the Football League but are providing Aitchison with the platform that he needs to develop his scoring gift from youth level into the professional game. With four goals since his deadline day loan deal the move has started exactly as he would have wished.
Going out on loan can be something of a lottery but after stints at Dumbarton and Alloa last season it seems that Aitchison has struck gold with his move to the fourth tier of the English game.
Overshadowing everything that Jack does are the memories of his dad, George, who died suddenly last January.
These days being the parent to an aspiring footballer is virtually a full-time job as their car mileage confirms.
The lows tend to be felt more than the highs, the fall out rate is brutal with parents required to be on call 24/7 to ferry players between training and matches with emotional support a necessity.
After the shock and trauma of losing his dad Jack has developed a greater sense of resilience towards his goal of building on that famous debut goal against Motherwell as a 16-year-old.
Discussing his loan move with The Sun he said:
I’d always wanted to come out of my comfort zone and come down to England to see what it’s like. A day or two before the window shut I saw some clips about Forest Green and how they played suited my style.
Not too many teams in League Two play football but this team tries. I was intrigued, got speaking and thought I’d try it. People forget I’m still only 19. You see some comments saying ‘he’s nowhere to be seen now’.
Some people think I’m 23 or 24. I’m lucky enough to have had a couple of first-team appearances at Celtic. It’s all about patience now.
I always believe in myself even though some people don’t. Hopefully this loan period can help me out. What Callum did intrigued me. Celtic told me he had gone down on loan then came back and got his chance. Ryan Christie went away to Aberdeen too. He did really well there then came back and got his opportunity.
I know they were a bit older than me. Hopefully I can come back and get involved with the first team like they have. I’ve got this season and next left on my contract at Celtic. I know Celtic have watched me in some games.
Forest Green send reports of my training and my games to Celtic so they can analyse it. All the boys here have been good. Mark the manager has been brilliant. The detail of what we go through in training is brilliant. I’ve been playing a more withdrawn role. They said they saw me in a role behind the striker. I’m enjoying it. I get more touches of the ball and it lets me play with more freedom.”
Forest Green are currently in fourth place in League Two, level on points with today’s opponents Cheltenham and just two behind leaders Crewe Alexandra.
