Isaac English is expected to complete his transfer from Morton to Celtic today.
The 17-year-old defender is in for a busy time with the formalities to be completed on a £50,000 deal that is likely to have significant add-ons for the Greenock club.
English hasn’t played a first team match for Morton but was part of their u-18 set up that won the Club Academy Scotland ahead of Partick Thistle, Livingston and St Johnstone.
Morton won that title by 21 points with a record of 18 wins, 1 draw and 3 defeats, second placed Partick Thistle had a record of 10 wins, 4 draws and 8 defeats.
Celtic play in the CAS Elite Division, finishing the season in eighth place with a record of 10 wins, 3 draws and 15 defeats. Last season Celtic were knocked out of the SFA Youth Cup, for u-19s by Morton in the first round at Barrowfield.
English is likely to be put out on loan to Queens Park as part of the new arrangement in place that allows SPFL Premiership clubs to have partnership arrangements with one club in each other three lower divisions.
Over the last decade the supply of young players into the Celtic first team has virtually dried up, playing in the Lowland League has effectively halted that process.
Since entering the 5th/6th tier of the Scottish game Owen Moffat with one appearance is the only player to have emerged from the Academy to start an SPFL match.
Ironically Moffat was at Morton last season where he started 34 matches in the SPFL Championship.
We have made such an arse of our young players situations over the past years… that this doesn’t get my juices flowing…I wish the young guy all the best ‘though….He’ll need it.