Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers was backed by the board in the summer transfer window and was able to bring in the likes of Adam Idah, Arne Engels, and Paulo Bernardo, among others, to bolster his squad.
The Hoops have justified their spending with their performances on the pitch, as they currently sit top of the Scottish Premiership table and have won two of their four Champions League games.
However, one thing that has been absent from Rodgers’ side since his return to Parkhead last year is emerging academy talent, with Callum McGregor, now 31, the only academy graduate starting regularly for the Scottish giants.
In the recent summer transfer window, Celtic lost two of their biggest prospects as Daniel Kelly and Rocco Vata both moved to the English Championship.
Why Rocco Vata and Daniel Kelly were big prospects
Firstly, Vata scored 23 goals in 34 matches for Celtic’s B team and found the back of the net once in six appearances for the first-team between the 2022/23 and 2023/24 campaigns.
Four of those six games came under Ange Postecoglou, as Rodgers only handed the Irishman two senior outings last season – despite his 12 goals in 15 Lowland League games.
Meanwhile, Kelly – a central midfielder – scored three goals in 35 games for Celtic B before emerging as a first-team option in the 2023/24 campaign. He scored one goal in six matches in all competitions for the senior side.
Despite Celtic’s dominance in all competitions, Kelly and Vata only combined for eight appearances and both decided to move on, to Millwall and Watford respectively.
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The Hoops may go on to regret not being able to keep either of them, but the Scottish giants did once have an even bigger talent than both of them – Ben Doak.
How much Celtic lost Ben Doak for
In the summer of 2022, Premier League side Liverpool reportedly paid a compensation fee of £600k to sign the teenage forward from Parkhead, as the winger opted to continue his development down south.
16 at the time, Doak had already played two games in the Premiership and has gone on to play ten games for Liverpool in all competitions to date, missing 41 matches with a meniscus tear last term.
His form for Scotland and for Middlesbrough, on loan, this season has earned him high praise, though, with talent scout Jacek Kulig claiming he is “one of the biggest Scottish talents in the 21st century”.
Appearances
6
Starts
4
Big chances created
2
Key passes
6
Dribbles completed
6
As you can see in the table above, Doak has provided quality as a dynamic and creative threat for his country in the Nations League this season.
Former Scotland manager Craig Levein said “this kid could be a world-class player” after his performance against Croatia last week, and his form domestically has further boosted his reputation.
He has made 22 key passes and provided three assists in eight starts for Middlesbrough in the Championship, which shows that the 19-year-old has thrived for club and country.
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Celtic will surely be gutted that they lost the teenage sensation to Liverpool in 2022 as his form since moving down south, for club and country, suggests that he has a huge future ahead of him.
Meanwhile, Vata and Kelly are yet to make their senior bows for Ireland or Scotland at international level, and are both the same age as Doak.