Tottenham, Everton and West Ham have all been linked with Celtic starlet Anthony Ralston.
Brendan Rodgers knows a thing or two about putting young talents on the path to a professional career. He helped launch the careers of Scott Sinclair and Fabio Borini during his formative years as Chelsea’s academy coach while also turning Raheem Sterling from a precocious teenager into a Golden Boy winner at Liverpool.
And, in just over a year at Celtic, the likes of Kieran Tierney and Moussa Dembele have evolved into genuine £30 million players – at least in today’s market.
Furthermore, 18-year-old Anthony Ralston looks well placed to be the latest Rodgers fledgling. The defender has gone from strength to strength since breaking into the Celtic team in the spring and, as a result, has piqued the interest of Premier League clubs.
The Scottish Sun claims Everton, West Ham and Tottenham Hotspur are all tracking Ralston, who was picked to mark the world’s most expensive player, Neymar, against PSG in the Champions League last week.
The Premier League calls
However, he should rest easy knowing that few understand young players like Rodgers.
“Let’s let him be and not get carried away just yet,” Rodgers said in quotes reported by the Scotsman. “You don’t go overboard with them just because they have played a couple of good games.
“Stay calm. See how consistent and professional they are, and if they are doing well they will always get rewarded.
“Let them get some games in their legs and let them go from there. Tony has done very well. He still has some improvements to make but there’s a really good base for him to be a part of the team.”
Interest form the likes of Tottenham, whose manager Mauricio Pochettino has developed the likes of Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen into genuinely top class talent, may appeal to a talented young player – particularly with Spurs offering a Premier League title fight and Champions League experience.
However, if Ralston didn’t know it already, he is already at the perfect club with the perfect manager to boot.
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