While Ange Postecoglou has somewhat transformed the makeup of the Celtic squad with the signings of players such as Kyogo Furuhashi, Liel Abada, Josip Juranovic, Matt O'Riley and Reo Hatate, the Bhoys still possess an impressive number of academy graduates in and around their first team.

At present, Stephen Welsh, Anthony Ralston, Callum McGregor, James Forrest, Mikey Johnston and Karamoko Dembele are all flying the flag as homegrown Celtic talents in the senior squad - something which will undoubtedly be a huge source of pride for Hoops fans.

The Parkhead faithful could well be on the verge of seeing the latest product of Celtic's incredibly efficient production line stake a regular place in the first-team squad - and perhaps even the starting XI - in the shape of 16-year-old Ben Doak.

"Generational talent"

Despite only turning 16 last November, there is an incredible amount of hype surrounding the ability and potential of the young Celtic midfielder, who is already reported to be attracting the interest of Premier League giants Liverpool.

Indeed, Bhoys Analytics quite clearly believe that the Scotland under-17 international is a player with an exceptionally bright future in the game, tweeting back in September: "Ben Doak is a name Celtic fans should get familiar with. Real chance of producing a generational talent."

This prediction would not appear to be too far wide the mark, as, just five months later, the youngster has already gone on to make his Premiership debut - playing 22 minutes of the Bhoys' 1-0 win over Dundee United towards the end of January - along with gaining experience of the biggest game in Scottish football with a nine-minute outing in Celtic's 3-0 win over Rangers on Wednesday.

After his debut against the Tangerines, Postecoglou himself took the time to praise the 16-year-old, stating: "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 today, it will have given him a different perspective on life. He probably would have been on the other side of the terracing if he hadn't been playing!"

Furthermore, former Bhoys captain Jackie McNamara said of the teenager after his maiden appearance: "I thought he was excellent. He was direct, the kid's got no fear. That's the beauty of young players. They've no experience of fear and the stuff that goes with it, they just want to go and play. He's an exciting talent. He's got so much pace and directness - it's exciting to watch."

Dembele has long been the Celtic youngster that fans have been expecting to make a splash in the first-team squad. However, should Postecoglou put his faith in Doak over the remainder of the current campaign - something which would seem advisable - the Parkhead faithful could well be witnessing the emergence of a new legend at Celtic Park.

In other news: Nicholson continuing Ange's revolution as Celtic make bid for "graceful" 111 G/A beast