Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers may play younger players in the coming games
Monday 19 December 2016 15:03, UK
Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers will consider giving some of his younger players some match time before the end of the year.
The Hoops continue their hectic December schedule with a Glasgow derby against Partick on Tuesday, a trip to Hamilton on Christmas Eve, followed by Ross County at Celtic Park, before they complete a nine-game month against Rangers at Ibrox.
With a commanding 11-point lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership on the back of a 20-game unbeaten domestic run, Rodgers has been shuffling his selections, and he may include some of Celtic's U20 squad in some of the upcoming fixtures.
Rodgers revealed a number of the academy players have been training with the first team and "doing very well", although he refused to give names.
Forward Jack Aitchison became Celtic's youngest ever player and goalscorer when he came off the bench at the age of 16 to net the final goal in the 7-0 victory over Motherwell at the end of last season, under former boss Ronny Deila.
Defender Anthony Ralston also made his debut under the Norwegian and the 18-year-old came off the bench against Motherwell in the League Cup in August.
"I can have a look at my squad and see if there are any younger players who can come in," Rodgers said. "My job fundamentally coming here was to win trophies, to play attacking football the Celtic way and to bring young players through.
"So we will look to see if there are any young players we can maybe look at over the next few games.
"This is what building a club is about, creating the hope for the youth players otherwise if they don't think they can play, then why should you have an academy?
"We have to develop young players here. That is how I have always worked but they have to be ready.
"Not totally ready of course but they need to show the ingredients, that they can come in and play in the first team. That is very important to a big club."
