Mazis moved to Celtic from Australian football earlier this month.
The father of new Celtic signing Leo Mazis has told of how a recent visit to the Scottish champions filled him with confidence about his son’s future at the club.
Mazis moved to Celtic from Belconnen United at the start of this month following a successful trial spell.
The 17-year-old made his debut for the Bhoys’ development side at the weekend, and has already trained with Brendan Rodgers’ first team.
According to Mazis’ dad, Peter, Rodgers ‘went out of his way’ to tell him how impressed he has been with the youngster.
“It was unbelievable, Brendan went out of his way to come and meet me and told me he was impressed with Leo,” Mazis Snr told the Canberra Times. “Even the CEO, Peter Lawwell, came and said hello and reinforced the fact they were looking after him.
“I went out to lunch with his coaches, sat in the VIP player’s lounge for the games, it was just brilliant.”
Just as Mazis appears to have made a positive impression on Celtic, the Bhoys have had a similar impact on his father – who manages his son’s old club Belconnen.
Mazis Snr added: “The whole setup is incredible and the focus and drive of the players is there to see, it’s an environment Leo is going to thrive in and that fills me with confidence.
“He’s played his first game now and Brendan brought him into his office and said ‘you’re doing well’ and I told him ‘if the first team coach knows your name you’re doing great’.
“He’s training with the first team and touch wood he continues to improve. It’s a great environment with so many internationals and the expectation is if you play for Celtic, you play for your country.”
Even before his son’s move, Mazis Snr had a connection to Celtic through Tom Rogic – the Bhoys’ midfielder whose father he knew from coaching in Australia.
And the older player has been helping Mazis to settle in.
“[Rogic] said his old man felt like he lost a son when he left because you miss birthdays and Christmas and he said he’d be taking Leo out for dinner and be there for him if he needed anything,” said Mazis Snr.
“They get on the Playstation against each other and text each other, Tom is a really good guy and to see him looking after Leo like that is great.”
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