An incredible podcast: Deaglan Bunting’s amazing Celtic days and the West Ham Academy offer that included two Celtic Season Tickets!

If you listen to one podcast this week make it the incredible interview that Deaglan Bunting gave to The Home Bhoys. 

At two and a half hours long it will require a little planning, once you get listening it will be hard to switch off but listening over two sittings will probably have the most impact. 

Back in the days of Gordon Strachan managing Celtic Bunting was as strong a prospect to make the breakthrough as you are likely to find. 

As well as being an exciting goalscorer he was a dyed-in-the-wool fan with perhaps his deep affection for the club the biggest drawback that he would face. He was living the dream daily.

If you listen to him recall a training session with Artur Boruc and Shunsuke Nakamura before a game at Ibrox you’ll understand, or his reluctance to challenge John Kenney in training while he was on the comeback trail. 

Listen to “Homebhoys – Room 1 on 1 – Deaglan Bunting” on Spreaker.

Despite regular travel from West Belfast to watch Celtic the hoops seemed reluctant to approach the schoolboy striker who was regularly training with Arsenal, Manchester United and others. There was even a call to the family home from Ibrox before Celtic appeared on the scene. 

Bunting was all set to sign for West Ham when his Dad got a call from Celtic while in a pub in Kimarnock ahead of the 2007 title clincher at Rugby Park featuring Boruc, Nakamura and Kennedy. 

Suddenly the West Ham contract remained unsigned, they were both furious and curious to such an extent that they offered Bunting two Celtic Season Tickets if he would sign up for their renowned Academy. 

When he signed for Celtic Paul McStay and Lubo Marvcik were in the building with the former Slovakian coach remembering the Northern Irish youth team striker that had scored against his side a few months earlier.

Sadly less than a year into his Celtic deal he was struck by injury. What followed was a horrendous couple of years as a young prospect was eased aside, underwent a series of operations that got no closer to finding the root of his problem. Some of the listening isn’t for the faint hearted. 

A teenager in Glasgow was seeing his dream disappear, he kept mos of the detail quiet from his family and consoled himself with being on the spot to watch Celtic home and away. 

The final stages of his Celtic days show up a number of people in a very poor light. 

There days Bunting is back in Belfast, flourishing in his post football career and incredibly still head over heels with the hoops. Those close to him can’t believe his support for the club after all they put him through but Bunting is the real deal. His Mum won’t be back at Celtic Park anytime soon.

Last season’s revival is discussed with passion. The return of a full stadium to face Jablonec in the Europa League, the February Glasgow derby and how Ange Postecoglou gave supporters belief, identity and joy again at watching their team. 

Bunting comes over exceptionally well, anyone listening to his story is bound to be full of admiration for a life that has only just reached 31, the same age as former team-mate James Forrest.  

And if you listen carefully you’ll hear about Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink singing Let The People Sing just before the dressing room incident of Thomas Gravesen and the Samuri Swords!