The Celtic senior side are yet to make their mark during this summer transfer window, but the club has secured the services of nine academy stars, each of who has penned their first professional contract.

As outlined on the official Celtic website, the nine fledgling players have all taken their next significant steps with the club, and having worked hard behind the scenes in recent times, have been rewarded with professional status at the Scottish champions.

Ahead of the 2024/25 campaign, the nine players who have signed professional deals with the club are: Jack Thomson, Owen Hartington, Josh Mulgrew, Jacob Donnelly, Aodhan Taylor, Samuel Sedwell, Corey Shaw, Ezekiel Molife and Cameron Patterson.

The surname Mulgrew will likely have stood out among those names, and it is indeed the son of former Celtic defender-meets-midfielder Charlie. 

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As aptly mentioned on the official Celtic website, these fresh faces will be keen to follow in the footsteps of some of the club's most successful players who also worked through the youth ranks before getting their break in the first-team at senior level.

The likes of James Forrest and club captain Callum McGregor as two of the most prolific names that fall into this category, so too are the likes of Stephen Welsh, Anthony Ralston, and in recent times, Kieran Tierney.

Forrest is now just a couple of medals away from becoming Celtic's most decorated player of all time, and yet said last month that he still revels in learning new things for young players coming through the door at the club.

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The 32-year-old and all of the aforementioned players are Celtic Youth Academy graduates, meaning these players have paved the way for the next generation of talent coming through behind the scenes.

History might suggest it's unlikely every one of this new crop of players will make it to first-team level, but it's exciting to see the club commit to their futures and vice versa nevertheless.