Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers admits he is not interested in signing his son Anton on a permanent deal.
Rodgers handed the 24-year-old a run-out as a trialist in their pre-season friendly victory over BW Linz on Wednesday, sparking talk he could be handed a permanent deal at Parkhead.
The midfielder is currently without a club following his release by Swindon Town, and was invited by his father to join the Celtic first-team squad for their pre-season trip to Austria.
He made a brief second-half appearance in their 1-0 win, but Rodgers insists he has only been granted access to the Celtic camp to build up his fitness in preparation for the 2017-18 season.
Celtic are likely to dip into the transfer market this summer for several reinforcements ahead of their domestic treble defence and Champions League qualifying campaign next term, but Anton is not set to be one of them.
Rodgers told the Evening Times: “Anton has come with us to train and get in good condition for when the English seasons starts. But we had a few injuries to Eboue Kouassi and Kristoffer Ajer as well as one or two others.
“It’s never been the notion to sign him, it’s just to give him a couple of weeks and then he can see where the next venture is.
“His son lives down in Reading so the ideal scenario is that he finds a club close to where he lives. But this has been a real good exercise for him.”
Anton began his career as a member of the youth academy at Premier League giants Chelsea, where Rodgers once served as a coach, but he failed to make the cut and was released in 2011.
He then signed an eight-year development contract with Brighton, and made his professional debut for the club in January 2012, but he failed to make another senior appearance for the club.
Following a short spell on loan at Exeter City, he was again on the move, sealing a one-year deal at Oldham Athletic in 2013. He was released at the end of the season following a lack of first-team opportunities.
League One outfit Swindon Town then snapped him up, where he went on to make 79 appearances in all competitions, scoring six goals and four assists before his release this summer.