Lucas Clearie Is Becoming Impossible to Ignore — Celtic’s 17-Year-Old Striker Is Scoring for Fun

There are young players who show promise, and then there are young players who start producing numbers that make you wonder how long they can possibly be kept away from the first team.

Lucas Clearie is quickly becoming the latter.

The 17-year-old Celtic striker has just scored another hat-trick for Celtic B against Beith, taking his incredible tally to 20 goals in 16 appearances across the Lowland League and KDM Evolution Trophy this season.

Even more impressively, Clearie is averaging a goal or assist every 53 minutes.

Those are extraordinary numbers for a teenager, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to overlook what he is doing.

What makes this latest performance even more interesting is the timing.

Clearie was left out of the starting eleven for Tuesday’s KDM Evolution Trophy defeat against Ross County, with Chelsea loanee Shim Mheuka preferred through the middle. Clearie was introduced from the bench, but rather than allowing that disappointment to affect him, he responded in the best possible way.

A first-half hat-trick against Beith.

That is the sort of mentality we want to see from young players coming through Lennoxtown. He has continued to score regardless of the opportunities presented to him, and his consistency deserves recognition.

But how long before Martin O’Neill gives him a proper opportunity?

Clearie has already trained with the first team and was named on the bench for Celtic’s Europa League trip to Benfica earlier in the campaign.

There is clearly an awareness of his potential within the club, but supporters are now starting to ask whether he could offer something to a first team that has struggled for consistency in front of goal.

We have spent much of this season discussing our striking options. Kasper Høgh has struggled to reproduce his early goalscoring form, while Camilo Durán has carried a significant amount of the attacking responsibility.

Nobody is suggesting that a 17-year-old should suddenly become Celtic’s main striker. That would be unfair and potentially damaging to his development.

However, there is surely room to introduce him gradually.

Even a place on the bench, followed by the occasional appearance when the opportunity presents itself, would be a positive step.

Celtic cannot afford to waste another generation of academy talent.

We regularly talk about developing young players, but the real test is whether they are given a genuine pathway into the first team.

Clearie is doing everything he possibly can at his current level. His goalscoring record speaks for itself, and he has earned the attention that is now coming his way.

There will naturally be questions about the level of opposition and whether those performances can translate into senior football. That is exactly why giving him opportunities in a controlled environment would be so valuable.

At 17, he has plenty of development ahead of him, but his current form is impossible to ignore.

The January window could also present an important decision for Celtic. A carefully chosen loan move to a senior side might help him take the next step, although keeping him around the first team could also provide valuable experience.

Whatever the club decides, Clearie needs a pathway.

We have been crying out for fresh energy, competition and something different from this Celtic side.

Perhaps one of the answers is already at Lennoxtown.

Lucas Clearie is scoring goals at an incredible rate. Now it is time for Celtic to show him that there is a genuine opportunity waiting at the end of it.