Daniel Kelly Celtic to Millwall move confirmed as Hoops play hardball over earlier exit

Millwall have confirmed Celtic midfielder Daniel Kelly will join the club on January 1 after signing a pre-contract.

Lanarkshire Live Sport exclusively revealed yesterday that the 18-year-old was set to pen a deal with the Lions after being frozen out of the Celtic first team by boss Brendan Rodgers.

And following Millwall's 1-0 win over Portsmouth in the EFL Cup last night, Lions gaffer Neil Harris told media at his post-match press conference that Kelly will be a Millwall player come 2025.

Lanarkshire Live Sport understands the London club were willing to offer in the region of £275,000 to bring East Kilbride kid Kelly down south sooner, but the Hoops are looking for closer to £500,000 with sell-on bonuses to release him now.

Harris told London News Online: "Dan has agreed to join the club. A deal has been agreed and he has signed. He officially joins us in January.

“He is a young player that we think has got huge potential. He is a very good player. When Dan first walks into the building he is not going to be someone that everyone should expect to go straight into the team.

“He is very young but everyone should take heart that they’ve seen Alfie Massey make his debut tonight and it was an outstanding performance. Dan is a box-to-box midfielder, probably an old-fashioned eight, who has great energy. I’d liken him to a young George Saville when he first came into the football club – breaks into the box and scores goals.

“He has got passion and real aggression to his play.”

Kelly turned down a new deal at Celtic Park - understood to be worth around £5,000 a week - and has since been playing with the Celtic B team in the Lowland League as his contract, which ends on December 31, ticks down.

It is understood even if