Michael Sparkes hasn’t made his Celtic debut but he is reportedly Premier League bound already with Roy Hodgson’s Crystal Palace snapping him up.
Celtic striker Michael Sparkes is set to join Crystal Palace on trial, according to the Scottish Sun, with the Hoops in danger of losing one of their most promising young talents.
The Glasgow giants are used to seeing players rise through the ranks, establish themselves in the first-team and win a title or two before moving south of the border, lured away by the bright lights of the Premier League.
Sparkes, however, could skip the middle and jump straight into the end zone, before he has even made his senior debut.
According to the Scottish Sun, the teenager is on his way to London with Roy Hodgson’s Crystal Palace handing a trial to a player who, as it stands, is due to become a free agent in the summer.
And a move to Selhurst Park could come at the perfect time. Palace have the second oldest squad in the Premier League but, in recent months, there has been a concerted effort to reduce the average age of Hodgson’s charges.
The Eagles have already snapped up one of Scotland’s brightest talents this month, landing highly-rated midfielder Scott Banks from Dundee United. And Sparkes, it seems, could follow in his footsteps.
Perhaps the diminutive forward, who represented Scotland at youth level before switching his international allegiance to Wales, feels his path to the first-team has been blocked at Celtic since the £3.5 million signing of Patryk Klimala.
And Sparkes will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of Wilfried Zaha, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and co at Palace.
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