“I’m not Buying it” – Chris Sutton Defends Rodgers and Celtic over Kelly Situation

Chris Sutton has shared his thoughts on the unfolding situation surrounding young Celtic player Daniel Kelly.

The emerging talent found himself sidelined from preseason activities after failing to sign a contract deemed more than satisfactory by manager Brendan Rodgers.

Last season, Kelly showcased his potential, notching his first goal for Celtic and appearing to be a promising player. However, as the season drew to a close, his opportunities to play diminished significantly, leading to a complete omission from Rodgers’ current plans.

With Kelly’s contract set to expire in January, comparisons have been drawn to now-former Celtic youngster Rocco Vata. Despite Rodgers’ eagerness to retain him, Vata declined the club’s offer and subsequently joined Watford.

In a column for the Daily Record, Sutton defended both Celtic and Rodgers. He observed a recurring theme at Celtic Park, where young talents depart before fully establishing themselves, but the club aren’t to blame for this.

Expressing sympathy for Celtic, he wrote “There seems to be a pattern at Parkhead of prospects jumping ship even before they’ve made a name for themselves.

“Plenty of supporters blame the club. These kids are not getting offered enough money, they are not getting enough Game time, etc, etc. I’m not buying it.

“I actually have some sympathy for Celtic here. What are they meant to do? Slap these youngsters on eight year deals like the ones Jim McLean made infamous at Dundee United back in the day? Do they padlock the gates of Lennoxtown? Chuck them in the side for the sake of it?

“No. That’s not how it works. If these kids get their heads turned and think they are best served elsewhere, then there’s not a lot that can do.

“There is a lot of money to be made for young players these days. We see it in England, where teenagers are snapped up on 10 grand a week, with houses and cases gift wrapped for their families and so on. It’s hard to turn down.

“But I’d urge caution. I’d suggest the grass is not always greener. You look at the ones who have left in recent times. We saw Barry Hepburn and Liam Morrison head to Bayern Munich before they even penned pro deals at Parkhead.

“Hepburn has only played a handful of Games for Munich’s B team and had loan spells at Queen’s Park in Scotland and in the Austrian Second Division.

“Morrison has tasted slightly more action and is now at Queen’s Park in the Championship after doing well on a loan spell. But is that where they saw their careers going?”