Ex-Celtic captain the reason behind 'fantastic' Hoops starlet's big Parkhead chance

Lanarkshire's Stephen McManus has been credited as the man who's brought the latest Celtic academy player into first-team proceedings, Ben Doak.

The 16-year-old was handed a huge chance by Hoops boss Ange Postecoglou on Saturday as he was introduced from the bench in a dramatic 1-0 Premiership win over Dundee United.

He only turned 16 in November and it has been revealed that Doak has been training with the senior side for a while - after McManus made a case for him.

Celtic's former captain - who hails from Hamilton - was previously at Motherwell and was a coach at Fir Park before joining his former side as a youth coach in 2019.

Postecoglou said: "Ben's been training with us for a while. It was Stephen McManus who brought him into the group.

"He's a fantastic kid who comes from a good family. He looked really composed for his age.

"He'll have grown up a bit. It will give him a different perspective on life."

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