Arsenal starlet Chris Willock justifies Celtic links with clinical England Under-19 brace

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Brendan Rodgers has history when it comes to working with young players – and the Celtic-linked forward could be another beneficiary.

Though Chris Willock’s double in the England Under-19’s 5-1 thrashing of Belarus didn’t quite match the spectacular nature of his viral sensation solo goal against Spain a few days earlier, it offered another indication of why Celtic are so keen to sign him, as reported by The Mirror.

Reacting instinctively to grab The Young Lions’ fourth of the game with a toe poked finish from close range, Willock then combined intuitively with his team-mate on the edge of the box before lashing a clean strike into the roof of the net.

Making his first-team debut in an EFL Cup clash with Nottingham Forest earlier in the season, the 19-year-old Arsenal whizzkid appears to have a bright future indeed. Yet, according to The Mirror, that may not be at The Emirates.

Brendan Rodgers is reportedly smitten with the teenage forward and sees him as the ideal replacement for Patrick Roberts, the Manchester City-owned wideman set to return to the Etihad after 18 months on loan at Celtic Park.

And though Willock has only two senior appearances to his name, his superb performances at England youth level have offered glimpses of that precocious ability that encouraged Arsene Wenger to claim that the teenage forward is ‘a very gifted player with natural strength and natural talent. He has what you do not find very easily’, as reported by the club’s official website.

Rodgers, like his long-serving colleague, is renowned for his trust and belief in young players. Although his relationship with Raheem Sterling at Liverpool reportedly turned sour, the current Manchester City forward owes the rapid rate of his progression to the Northern Irishman’s trust.

Willock, if he does indeed swap Arsenal for Celtic in the summer, could benefit from Rodgers’ nurturing nature. If his performance against Belarus is anything to go by, he’s certainly not lacking in potential.