Daniel Kelly has all but burst onto the scene for Celtic over the past few weeks. After only signing his first contract in 2022, what he has done in the last two years as a teenager must provoke excitement in all Celtic fans. After leading Celtics B team to their Glasgow cup win in the 2022/23 season and starting regularly in the lowland league and the UEFA youth league at 17 it was hard to deny his talent.
Brendan liked what he saw as he decided to include Kelly in his pre-season side that went to Japan and Portugal. He went on to impress further early this season scoring twice in the UEFA youth league as well as scoring in the lowland league. Although it was clear as day that Kelly was a level above the lowland league as he bossed the midfield in almost every game he played.
Brendan decided he was ready for competitive first team football, selecting him on the bench for the team’s Scottish cup tie against Buckie Thistle. Kelly went on to score coming off the bench in this game, putting him in the spotlight of fans. From then on he has been a regular bench player in the first team, although one might say it is due to injury in that area, but he has been selected over Odin Holm on many occasions so he must have something really special in Brendan’s eyes.
In his league debut against Dundee, he scored too after coming on for captain Calum McGregor, which is pressure for any player let alone a young 18-year-old.
The question is will Brendan give Kelly the development and opportunity he deserves, as we have seen in the past young players break through the youth system then end up not getting a chance to prove themselves. Names like Karamoko Dembele and Ben Doak come to mind. But right now with injuries to Calum McGregor and Reo Hatate, Kelly has a great chance to get a good run in the team, which he has been doing. If the rumours about Matt O’Riley that circulate in the media are true there could potentially be another opening in the midfield come summer, and I think Kelly is ready to take that spot in the rotation.
A young Scottish player filled with passion and fight, scoring in the cup and the league at 18, if history is anything to go off of, Celtic fans could have a very special player on their hands for the foreseeable future.
