Brendan Rodgers shares plans for Francis Turley after teenager's Celtic debut

Lina Portman4 weeks ago

3 2 minutes read

Brendan Rodgers shares plans for Francis Turley after teenager's Celtic debut

Francis Turley became the latest player to make his competitive debut for Celtic on Sunday.

The 18-year-old made a late substitute appearance in the 3-0 Scottish Premiership win over St Mirren, taking a step forward after his involvement with the team in the summer's pre-season friendlies.

Turley signed a new contract with the club earlier this month and it appears that commitment is a factor in Brendan Rodgers devoting time to his development.

The manager has praised his family for putting their faith in the club to help him progress as a player and it now appears the midfielder is set to continue playing in the first team, rather than being sent out on loan.

Celtic boss doesn't want too much hype around Francis Turley

Asked whether he would stay with the Bhoys or move to a new club for the season, Rodgers said: [Celtic Way]: “I think he should stay. He really impressed me in pre-season. He still has a lot of maturity and I think we don’t need to put too much pressure on an 18-year-old. You just have to take your time.

“He’s a talent and we’ve seen talents leave because they’re impatient. I don’t see that, being with Francis now in the summer, he’s signed a new contract and brought his family over. They trust the club, which is important for his development.

“For me, it gives hope to the young players, who have a place here. He still has a lot of progress to make physically, but technically, he is very good in the game.”

Photo by Domenic Aquilina/NurPhoto via Getty Images

“It gives him a bit more oxygen and the feeling of being on the pitch for Celtic. But he knows himself he has a lot of work to do. But that's what he's here for.”

Turley now part of Brendan Rodgers' youth program

Earlier this year, Rodgers said one of his aims was to provide a more functional pathway from the Celtic academy to the first team. It had been a long time since a young player had managed to break into the starting XI on a permanent basis.

Turley appears to be one of the first signs of this development. The manager gave Rocco Vata and Daniel Kelly time, but they both decided to move on.

The manager has made it clear that he still has a long way to go to reach the required level, but keeping the Northern Ireland international as a back-up and giving him game time where possible will motivate him to continue fighting at Celtic. Hopefully, that will pay off over time.