Leo Hjelde has joined Ross County on loan until the end of the season.
The 17-year-old joined Celtic from Rosenborg in the summer of 2019 but has yet to play a first team match although he did make the substitute bench for last week’s draw with Hibs.
Celtic have regularly sent players on loan to Ross County with Ewan Henderson spending the first half of last season in Dingwall and Ross Doohan only recently returning to Celtic.
? CLUB NEWS
Leo Hjelde joins the Staggies on-loan from Celtic
— Ross County FC (@RossCounty) January 22, 2021
Explaining the move John Hughes told the County website:
Leo is a good young player that will see this spell as a key part of his development. I think it is important that in addition to the experience we have, we add young, hungry talent in to the side that are eager to go out there and go toe-to-toe with some of the best players in this league.”
Some people will look at it and say he is young, and he is a risk but sometimes you have to thrive on that, I know Leo will. For me, I have always tried to filter in young players in all my teams and this is no different, we will give him the opportunity but he has to show what he can bring when he is given the chance.
Kris Ajer is the obvious comparison for Hjelde to follow, in January 2017 he went on loan to Kilmarnock while still a teenager and returned to play his way into the Celtic side the following season.
In the first half od the season Hjelde was only able to play in a couple of Glasgow Cup matches, with Ross County he’ll be able to be involved in the matchday squad as Hughes looks to steer the club away from the bottom two places.