Celtic confirm Nerang Eagles affiliation deal

Celtic have confirmed a deal that will see Australian side Nerang Eagles become their latest feeder club.

As reported by the official website, Nerang Eagles will be one of several teams along with those in Europe that Celtic have first pick of talented academy prospects.

As part of the arrangement between the two clubs, Celtic will host expert coaching session for the Australian side during holidays periods.

The Queensland outfit have been in negotiations with Celtic for five years but have finally struck a deal.

Speaking after the deal was confirmed Nerang Eagles coaching director Gary Scott was very pleased with the outcome.

We had a chat for a good while and then Tony Massie, Celtic’s soccer academy manager, came over to Australia where we had further detailed conversations about how the partnership will work and what’s expected of each club.

This of course includes a Celtic coaching clinic to be held during the Easter school holidays at our club here at Nerang where local players from any club on the Gold Coast can get expert mentorship and a week of coaching from top Celtic coaching staff.

Celtic are really looking forward to this relationship and they see this as their first tentative steps into Australia.

Affiliations are becoming increasingly prominent with the top clubs in Europe with a huge focus on snapping up some of the best young talent.

Celtic boast a wide range of partnerships with American academies, ranging from Washington to New York as well as in Venezuela and Panama. In Europe, there are also partnerships in Italy, Holland and Wales among other countries.