The Hoops reserves won the Glasgow Cup at Parkhead with a dramatic 95th-minute winner against Rangers to win 3-2.
Celtic academy manager Tommy McIntyre has praised the club’s reserve side for the season they’ve had and, more importantly, how their experiences this term will bode well going forward.
The young Hoops finished the season by lifting the Glasgow Cup and, even though they narrowly missed out on the league title, a number of academy stars got game time in the first team, which for McIntyre is a key achievement with regards to their setup.
Celtic came within a whisker of lifting SPFL Reserve League title after going into the last game of the season against St Johnstone level on points with Rangers, winning 3-2 against their opponents, but a goal difference of three denied them the championship.
However, the Bhoys did win the Glasgow Cup at Parkhead with a 95th-minute winner against Rangers to win 3-2, while the likes of Mikey Johnston, Ewan Henderson, Ryan Mullen, Stephen Welsh and Jack Aitchison have all been in and around the first team.
“You could see the way the more experienced players approached the [Glasgow Cup final] game and they wanted it as much as the younger ones,” McIntyre told the Celtic website. “That was a great example. As academy players, it’s important that they instil their standards when they do come down.
“It’s a fantastic development tool to win things, particularly at a club like Celtic. The biggest prize again is always the development, and winning trophies is part of their development at Celtic because that’s what they’ll be expected to do in the first team.”
In pre-season, the Celtic reserves are set to take on several big teams such as Manchester City, Newcastle United, Wolverhampton Wanderers and possibly Chelsea’s Under-23s too, added McIntyre.
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