Celtic captain Callum McGregor has singled out young attacking midfielder Rocco Vata for praise.

The teenager is currently sidelined with an ankle injury but he has been training with the first team this season (having made his debut against Hibs) and McGregor is hopeful that he will eventually establish himself in the senior setup:

“Rocco has been around the first team since pre-season and he’s done great so hopefully he can recover from his injury. It’s great to see the guys coming, pushing and training with the first team. If we can try and get as many academy products through into the first team, I believe it gives the club a great base moving forward.”

Vata is very highly rated and he has been linked with a number of other clubs, including the likes of Arsenal and Manchester City, as well as Juventus, AC Milan and Roma in recent months.

The 17-year-old’s performances in the UEFA Youth League are believed to have caught the attention of club scouts, after he scored in a 2-1 win against RB Leipzig for Celtic’s Under 19s back in October.

Celtic have lost a fair few youngsters over the last few years to teams in England and on the continent but they will be hoping that, like McGregor, Vata remains at Parkhead and becomes a mainstay in the first team.