Despite cries of “sack the board” heard at every Celtic game in recent weeks, over the last decade or so, the Hoops have, inarguably, been one of the most well-run clubs in Europe.

Time and time again, the Celts managed to sign a lesser-known player on the cheap before selling him on for an enormous profit, with Nicolas Kühn the latest example.

Despite this, home-grown Celtic academy graduates often struggle to make the break through into the first team, often forced to leave in search of regular opportunities elsewhere.

Current squad members Kieran Tierney, Callum McGregor, James Forrest and Anthony Ralston have been able to make the breakthrough, but they are very much the exception rather than the rule, so should Brendan Rodgers unleash a “powerful” youngster, actually poached from elsewhere, or risk him being the latest player to seek pastures new?

Why Ben Doak is Celtic's major regret

The newly rebranded Ben Gannon-Doak came through Celtic’s academy, but made only two appearances for the first team, introduced as a substitute against Dundee United and Rangers in early 2022 by Ange Postecoglou.

However, even by that stage, he had already agreed to join Liverpool, with Celtic receiving a miserly £600k in compensation.

The teenager then made just ten senior appearances for the Reds but, after an impressive loan spell at Middlesbrough in the EFL Championship last season, was sold to Bournemouth for a whopping £25m in August.

Doak has also become an integral figure at international level, starring during last year’s UEFA Nations League campaign, particularly giving Joško Gvardiol, the most expensive defender of all time, a nightmarish evening when Croatia visited Hampden in November.

If Steve Clarke is going to lead Scotland to a first World Cup since France ’98, Doak will be at the heart of this potential success.

As the table below documents, he is, by some distance, the most valuable Celtic academy graduate currently an active player.

Ben Gannon Doak

Bournemouth

£17.9m

Kieran Tierney

Celtic

£4.95m

Callum McGregor

Celtic

£3.30m

Mikey Johnston

West Brom

£2.08m

Liam Henderson

Sampdoria

£1.39m

Anthony Ralston

Celtic

£1.04m

Karamoko Dembélé

QPR

£0.78m

Daniel Cummings

West Ham

£0.61m

Conor Hazard

Plymouth

£0.43

James Forrest

Celtic

£0.26m

Thus, in short, Celtic must rue letting such a talented young player leave without ever giving him much of a chance at Parkhead, so could a youngster in the current squad, still yet to make his senior debut, follow a similar path?

Celtic youngster deserves an opportunity

In the summer, Celtic did make 11 new signings, with supporters disgruntled that attacking reinforcements came after their Champions League play-off defeat to Kairat; Michel-Ange Balikwisha and Sebastian Tounekti both joining just before the deadline.

However, a striker who did arrive in June, one who is often overlooked, is Callum Osmand, arriving from Fulham for compensation.

Upon his arrival in Glasgow, Rodgers labelled the 19-year-old “quick and powerful”, adding that he was “really looking forward to working with him”.

On the flip side, Jack Kelly of Fulhamish expressed his disappointment at losing a “fantastic” talent, but was not surprised, assuming Celtic were offering him first team football which, so far, has not been the case.

Osmand is yet to make his senior debut north of the border, his two appearances in hoops both coming for the B team in the catchily named KDM Evolution Trophy, scoring against Clyde at New Douglas Park and Edinburgh City at Meadowbank, both in front of tiny crowds, which is probably not what he envisaged when he made the move.

While at Fulham, he scored 23 times in 38 appearances for the under-18s, before a further 23 goals in 36 outings for the under-21s, with only two players, namely Donnell McNeilly and Emre Tezgel, scoring more goals in last year’s PL2.

This form led to a report in the Evening Standard labelling him one of the most talented youngsters at a London club, noting that he has an ‘eye for goal’ and possesses ‘searing pace’.

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So, why should he be given a chance to shine?

Well, Celtic’s current first-choice striker is Kelechi Iheanacho, who has actually made a bright start to life at Parkhead, converting a penalty at Kilmarnock on debut, subsequently on target against Crvena zvezda and, most recently, Motherwell on Sunday.

However, still rebuilding his fitness, the Nigerian international is regularly taken off around the hour mark, replaced by Balikwisha with around 15 minutes to go at the weekend, despite the fact the score was 2-2 at the time.

Osmand is yet to even be on the bench for a domestic match; the closest he’s come to a debut was the two legs against Kairat, largely because 12 substitutes are permitted.

Thus, even if it is just cameos off the bench to start, the Welsh youth international deserves to get more of a look in, given both his potential but also the paucity of elite-level attacking difference makers in Rodgers’ squad.

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