Celtic have had a number of young players leave the Academy to try and make their way in England.
Most recently, Ben Doak and Rocco Vata are currently down south at Liverpool and Watford respectively and many other Celtic Academy youngsters have looked to make the grade down south and failed.
Fans are getting frustrated at Celtic losing a number of promising youngsters only to see them slip into obscurity in England.
However, last night a former academy graduate who left Celtic to join Leeds United back in 2021 has helped his current side book a date at Wembley in a dramatic Premier League play-off tie.
Lennoxtown
Lennoxtown / Photo by Celtic TV
Ex-Celtic kid Leo Hjelde helps Sunderland book Premier League play-off final date
Leo Hjelde left Celtic to join Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United after being lured by the English Premiership in 2021.
However, now at Sunderland the former Celtic kid made a cameo appearance alongside former Hoops favourite Patrick Roberts to see off Coventry City last night as a last-gasp extra-time equaliser from Daniel Ballard booked the final date at Wembley at the end of the season.
Coming on as a 120th-minute sub, Hjelde got a taste of the game but also the whole experience of the madness that unfolded at the end of the game in the Stadium of Light.
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The 1-1 draw meant that The Black Cats won the tie 3-2 on aggregate and Hjelde, who was once compared to Celtic icon Virgil van Dijk, has the possibility of calling himself a Premier League player once again.
Leo Hjelde’s career since leaving Celtic in 2021
Hjelde was a player who Celtic once hoped would make the step up to the Hoops first-team but it wasn’t to be as he made the move to England in 2021.
So how has the former Celtic youngster fared since?
Leo Hjelde Appearances
Celtic 0
Leeds 8
Rotherham 13
Sunderland 29
Sunderland now meet Sheffield United in the play-off final which will be played on Sunday the 25th of May just one day after Celtic face Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup final.