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“What a REGRET to Celtic”- Player who was sold for just £600k now becoming a World-Class ACE as “one of the biggest Scottish talents in the 21st century” leaving Celtic gutted of losing such Teenage Sensation.
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers received strong backing from the club’s board during the summer transfer window, allowing him to strengthen his squad with key signings such as Adam Idah, Arne Engels, and Paulo Bernardo. This investment has been reflected in their performances, with the team currently sitting atop the Scottish Premiership and securing two victories from their four Champions League matches.
However, one notable absence since Rodgers’ return to Parkhead last year has been the emergence of new academy talent. Callum McGregor, now 31, remains the only academy graduate consistently starting for Celtic. In a blow to their youth development, Celtic also lost two promising young players in the summer transfer window—Daniel Kelly and Rocco Vata—both of whom moved to the English Championship.
Why Rocco Vata and Daniel Kelly were considered top prospects
Rocco Vata had an impressive record, scoring 23 goals in 34 games for Celtic’s B team and netting one goal in six first-team appearances between the 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons. Four of these first-team appearances came under Ange Postecoglou, while Rodgers gave Vata just two senior appearances last season despite his stellar form for the B team, where he scored 12 goals in 15 Lowland League matches. Vata’s potential was evident, and he was seen as one of the club’s most promising talents.
Similarly, Daniel Kelly, a central midfielder, scored three goals in 35 games for Celtic’s B team and made six first-team appearances during the 2023/24 campaign, contributing one goal. Despite Celtic’s dominance in domestic competitions, both Kelly and Vata made just a combined eight senior appearances before deciding to seek opportunities elsewhere, with Kelly joining Millwall and Vata moving to Watford. The club may eventually regret letting both players go, especially given their potential.
Celtic’s loss of Ben Doak
Celtic has experienced a larger loss in the past, having let Ben Doak, one of their brightest young talents, join Liverpool in the summer of 2022. The Premier League side reportedly paid a £600,000 compensation fee to sign the teenage winger, who chose to continue his development at Anfield. Doak has since gone on to make a number of appearances for Liverpool, further highlighting the gap left by his departure.
