Hibs edge Celtic in transfer age stakes as Scottish Premiership player profile emerges

Recruitment is key has become a football cliche but it will make or break a manager along with results.

Everyone is trying to strike the right balance between young, hungry additions with a point to prove and perhaps most importantly for club bean counters; sell on value. But not enough experience can see the wheels come off during the big moments, with victories becoming draws and draws turned into defeats due to a lack of game "know-how".

Giving kids a chance is vital to many Scottish Premiership clubs, as is signing younger talent before they reach their peak and are unattainable. New data from the CIES Football Observatory has tracked the recruitment habits of almost 800 clubs world wide in terms of average age of first team signings. And in this country, the data shows Hibs sign the youngest players, with an average age of 23.26 over the last five years.

Next is Celtic on 23.53 years. That speaks to the Hoops transfer model of buy low, develop, win trophies then sell high. Rangers aren't too far behind their rivals, with their average signing age 23.60 years.. The Ibrox club admitted that they had to up their player trading game in the most recent club report that was released along with their latest accounts.

At the other end of the scale, Livingston have the highest recruitment age of 25.71 years. David Martinle is never slow to bring up budgets and he uses his on mostly mid-20s players. St Mirren are just above the Lions with an average recruitment age of 25.20.

Ina. worldwide context, Austrian outfit Red Bull Salzburg are signing the youngest players with an average age 20.93. Stable mates RB Bragantino in Brazil follow a similar model, albeit with slightly older players at 21.72 years.

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