Celtic fans love nothing more than seeing young talent progress from the youths into the first-team.
Callum McGregor, James Forrest, Anthony Ralston, and Stephen Welsh have all made that transition and are all, to some extent, still having a positive impact on Celtic’s successes.
Unfortunately, fans have also seen bright talents like Ben Doak leave Celtic for pastures new and thrive away from Paradise.
But it seems that there are two young Academy Celts still at the club who are making an impact out on loan and one is said to be as good as returning hero, Kieran Tierney.
Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images
Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images
Celtic youngster Matt Anderson is ‘like a young’ Kieran Tierney
Young Matthew Anderson is enjoying a loan spell at Austrian outfit, Admira Wacker. The 21-year-old has made 13 appearances, scoring once and creating two.
And former Celtic coach Greig Robertson has likened him to returning Parkhead hero, Kieran Tierney.
Robertson told The Celtic Exchange Podcast, “We speak about external players hopefully coming in to add to this, there are a few young players out on loan at various clubs right now who could make an impact to that first team depth chart.
“There’s a couple out in Austria just now. I spent a couple of brilliant years with Darren [O’Dea], and I know he’s transitioned into a new role, not coaching this season, but more looking at kind of a pathway and trying to bridge that gap between Academy, B-team and first team and create some partnerships and relationships.
MORE CELTIC STORIES
“But Matt Anderson and Ben Summers, two fantastic talents. I mean, Matt Anderson is like a young KT [Kieran Tierney]
“He’s got three lungs, Matty Anderson, he can run all day. Brilliant kids, technically, very good. I know he came over to the first team in the US preseason and got some minutes.”
Young Ben Summers is also enjoying a loan spell at Admira and has also made 13 appearances, scoring two and creating two.
The attacking midfielder has also been on loan at Dunfermline, has made two appearances for the Celtic first-team and has been described by Robertson as a ‘beautiful football player’.
Robertson continued, “Ben Summers, I think he actually played a young Tommy Burns in the program that they made about Tommy’s life.
“Ben Summers is just a beautiful football player as well, an attacking number eight. So there’s a couple of kids who will come back in, I’m sure, in preseason the manager will get his eyes on and see if they can force a way into that first team squad.”
If these kids are as good as what Robertson is saying then, hopefully, when they return to the club they can give Brendan Rodgers something to mull over.
Having a proper pathway to the Celtic first team is something fans have been crying out for years so, hopefully, both Summers and Anderson can return in the summer and at least challenge for some first-team minutes.