How is it the phrase goes? Four times burnt; fifth time shy?
With the Irish Independent reporting that Celtic will sent scouts across the sea to take in tomorrow’s League of Ireland clash between Sligo Rovers and Drogheda United, it’s worth remembering that, in recent seasons, Parkhead has not exactly been fertile ground for exciting young Irishmen.
Teenager Luca Connell was being drafted into the Republic of Ireland squad two years ago, all the while attracting interest from clubs at the top end of the Premier League.
These days, sightings of the Loch Ness Monster are more frequent. Connell is still awaiting his first-team debut in green-and-white after two seasons of stasis.
The same can be said of striker Jonathan Afolabi and defender Lee O’Connor, a man who’s arrival in 2019 sparked plenty of fury from Manchester United fans who thought they had a real talent on their hands.
Armstrong Okoflex, meanwhile, jumped at the chance to leave Celtic two months ago when West Ham came calling, rescuing the talented winger from his Parkhead purgatory.
Okoflex would score a brilliant solo goal against the Hoops in a 6-2 pre-season victory a few weeks later. Talk about proving a point.
Should Killian Phillips be wary of Celtic?
It remains to be seen what becomes of Liam Scales too, the former Shamrock Rovers star who made history by joining the Hoops for a league-record £500,000 last week.
So, with the Independent reporting that Drogheda’s 19-year-old midfielder Killian Phillips is already attracting interest from the green half of Glasgow, a wary fanbase have been quick to point out that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side of the sea.
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