Revealed: Hardly-seen Celtic rookie set for big role after Lennon dazzled in training
Celtic plan to fast-track Stephen Welsh into the first team this season after making a big impression on the coaching staff in training, Football Insider has learned.
The centre-back, 20, has made just a single senior appearance for the Hoops since graduating from the club’s youth ranks.
A Celtic source has told Football Insider that Welsh is one of the youngsters who has been training with the first team ahead of the new season.
Neil Lennon and his coaches regard the academy product as a huge talent and and are preparing to integrate him into the senior team in the coming months.
Welsh’s only first-team match to date came in a 4-1 demolition of Hamilton in February when he started in a three-man defence alongside Kristoffer Ajer and Christopher Jullien.
He was then dropped back out of the side but has been making strong progress at the club’s Lennoxtown headquarters.
The make-up of the Celtic defensive roster for the new campaign is in doubt following the departure of Jozo Simunovic when his contract expired at the end of May.
There is also doubt over the future of Ajer, who has attracted strong interest from Premier League and Serie A clubs.
Welsh is regarded as capable of providing cover for the senior stars, although Ajer is likely to be replaced by a proven performer if he does leave.
That would leave Welsh, Nir Bitton and the versatile full-back Hatem Abd Elhamed as central defence alternatives to the first choices.
In other Celtic news, it can be REVEALED there has been a huge development in the club’s new contract talks with Odsonne Edouard.
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