Celtic starlet gets Ireland call after recent Ange Postecoglou promotion

Celtic youngster Rocco Vata has been called up to represent the Republic of Ireland's u17s squad.

The teenager signed his first professional contract with Celtic at the age of 16 in July last year and has impressed in their Lowland League 'B' team.

Described as a pacy midfielder, he has been called up to train with the senior Hoops team, clearly catching the eye of first-team manager Ange Postecoglou.

He is the son of former Celtic defender and Albanian international Rudi Vata.

Albania, Scotland and Montenegro are the nations he is eligible for alongside the Irish through his Dublin-born gran.

Vata has strong Lanarkshire connections, having been born in Hamilton and hailing from Wishaw through his mum. He also attended St Mark's Primary School.

Republic of Ireland Under-17 head coach Colin O’Brien has named a 20-man squad for his side’s Elite Phase qualifiers in Portugal, taking on the hosts on Wednesday, followed by Finland on Saturday and Bulgaria next Tuesday.

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