Celtic Youngster Moves To Mordor

Another Celtic youngster has slipped through the net.

And this one deserves a bit more attention than it has received.

Michael Ihmig joined Castle Greyskull back in July, but somehow the move has gone largely under the radar. Maybe that’s because he’s only 15. Maybe it’s because youth football doesn’t get the attention it deserves.

But when you look at the player Celtic has just lost, it’s hard not to wonder how we’ve allowed another highly rated youngster to walk away from the club.

Ihmig is currently only 15 years old. At an age when most players are still trying to establish themselves at the academy level, he has already attracted international attention from three different nations.

He is eligible to represent Scotland, Northern Ireland, and South Africa.

Remarkably, he has represented all three at the under-15 level.

That tells you something.

You don’t end up being involved with three different international setups at that age unless there is a serious level of interest in your development. The Scottish FA has also previously listed Ihmig in their Under-15 squad, while he has featured for Northern Ireland in the same age group.

And then there are the numbers.

Across just 20 games last season, Ihmig reportedly produced 28 goals and assists.

Twenty games.

Twenty.

That is elite production for a player of any age, never mind one who is still only 15.

Of course, we have to be careful with youngsters. Nobody knows whether a 15-year-old will ultimately become a first-team player. Development isn’t linear, and plenty of highly rated academy players never make it to the top level.

But that’s exactly why Celtic should be doing everything possible to keep the ones who show this level of promise.

Ihmig is a right winger and had already been identified as one of the major talents within Celtic’s youth setup.

And now he’s at Castle Greyskull.

That’s the part that stings.

It’s not simply losing a player.

It’s losing a player to them.

We’ve seen enough times now that developing young players properly isn’t just about having talented youngsters coming through the door. It’s about convincing them that Celtic is the best place for them to become footballers.

If a player can look at his options at 15 and decide that his future lies elsewhere, then Celtic have to ask themselves why.

And this is where the whole academy pathway debate comes back around.

We constantly hear about the importance of youth development. We talk about giving young players opportunities. We talk about producing the next big talent.

But ultimately, talent has to be retained.

There is no point proudly telling everyone about the quality coming through the academy if some of the best prospects are walking out before they have even had the chance to get close to the first team.

Ihmig may go on to become a brilliant player.

He may not.

Nobody can know that at 15.

But Celtic shouldn’t need to know the answer before deciding that a player with his potential is worth fighting to keep.

Especially when he’s already producing serious numbers and attracting attention from three different international setups.

And perhaps the strangest part of all is that this happened back in July and barely registered in anyones minds.

Another talented Celtic youngster leaves.

Another prospect moves across the city.

Another name disappears from our academy picture.

And we move on.

Maybe Ihmig won’t come back to haunt us.

Maybe he’ll never make it.

But if we’re sitting here in a few years watching a talented young player making his breakthrough at Castle Greyskull, don’t say we weren’t warned.

Because at 15, with 28 goal contributions in 20 games and three nations already taking an interest, Michael Ihmig was exactly the sort of player Celtic should have been desperate to keep.

Instead, he’s gone.