Celtic manager Neil Lennon has revealed he is expecting big things from a trio of youngsters at the club after breaking through into the first team during the 2018/19 season.
The Hoops secured their third successive domestic treble under Lennon’s guide, the Northern Irish boss replacing Brendan Rodgers halfway through the campaign, and did so with a number of promising prospects among the squad.
Lennon has named 20-year-old Mikey Johnston, 16-year-old Karamoko Dembele and 19-year-old Ewan Henderson as three players crucial to Celtic’s future and that he is expecting to see them make their mark at Parkhead.
He told the Daily Record: “I am excited about them. Dembele lit the place up the other week. He is very important to the club, as are the likes of Ewan Henderson.
“Michael Johnston played in the Cup Final and that will be a huge shot in the arm for him. We think he’s good enough. It’s important for me as a manger to bring players through from the academy. It’s vital we develop our own.”
Opinion
Celtic have always had a proud tradition of bringing young talent through their academy system and into the first team – after all, they do not have the same funds other clubs in the likes of England do to bolster their side every season. The last 12 months have been no different and the Hoops faithful have finally got to see what young Dembele, perhaps the most highly anticipated youngster Celtic have had on their books in recent years, has to offer. At 16-years-old he is a boy trying to make his way in a man’s game but he certainly seems to have done enough to convince Lennon of his worth. The likes of Johnston and Henderson have also impressed during their time among the senior side and they can expect to be handed more game time over pre-season and into the new campaign. It is not easy to hold down a place at a massive club like Celtic and so the pressure is on the youngsters to impress.