At lunchtime today a troubling but familiar story popped up on Twitter with Anthony Joseph of Sky Sports flagging up the contract situation of Rocco Vata.
The teenager has been involved in pre-season action for the last two campaigns, played three times as a substitute last season but is now into the final year of his contract.
Telling the tweet mentioned a change of agency to CAA Base. Last week the same agency fixed Max Johnson up with a move to Sturm Graz from Motherwell, you can be certain that it wasn’t the Recruitment Team at the Austrian club that highlighted the young defender.
CAA Base, as any agency would do were circulating clubs about the availability of their client, only the naive would imagine that Vata isn’t getting the same treatment. Even if it is only to get the best possible offer out of Celtic.
A number of clubs in Italy, England & Belgium are keen on Celtic attacking midfielder Rocco Vata, who has just joined CAA Base football agency.
He has one year left on his contract.
Vata, 18, impressed for Celtic B & Ireland U19s. He broke into the Celtic first team last term. pic.twitter.com/oaWuAy9iDb
— Anthony Joseph (@AnthonyRJoseph) July 31, 2023
At the age of 18 Vata has been in and around the Celtic Academy with Den Doak, Liam Morrison, Barry Hepburn, Rory Mahady, Vincent Angelini and others who quit for England or Germany at virtually the first opportunity.
Money played a significant part in those decisions but so to does the lack of any pathway into first team football. That door has been closing ever since Kieran Tierney broke through in 2015.
Vata has had two seasons of playing in the Lowland League, a third would be utterly pointless with no sign of any obvious alternative.
There is no established loan system although talks with Admira Wacker highlight the fact that the club is aware of the issue even if a solution is still elusive. Tobi Oluwayemi, Matthew Anderson and Ben McPherson have been linked with loan moves to the Austrian Second Division but with their league campaign already underway the players have missed out on vital preparations.
With wingers Yang Hyun-jun and Marco Tilio added to the first team squad there is no obvious route into Brendan Rodgers’ side, August will be decision time on Vata with fans hoping that he is given the chance to complete the leap from Academy football into the becoming a top team regular.
@CelticFC need to get this lad on a new deal then find him a season loan in the SPFL…
He’ll come back a player ready to compete for a place🍀
— TheHoops🍀🏴🇮🇹 (@67_Celtic_1888) July 31, 2023
This is getting sickening. Just fold tha academy at this point.
Anyone who’s actually got something about them is taken out our hands and the club just let’s it happen.
— Recidivist (@Funkstepper67) July 31, 2023
I think he has looked a very good prospect. I just don’t think he has any stand out attributes (pace, power, tricky skill, defensive running) that make him a special talent
— Hakuna Hatate 🇯🇵 レンジャーズスケルパー (@quadtreblechamp) July 31, 2023
Why is the club not all over this 🤔
He’s the brightest talent (in my opinion) and we don’t have a settled plan for him or a new deal as of yet.
When ur ready Celtic
— 🍀THE GREEN FOX🍀 (@jg2394044) July 31, 2023
Really hope we can keep him. Has looked good when given the chance
— Wizard of Oz (@Wizardo68289802) July 31, 2023
Rocco needs to be given the offer of a 5 year contract with the option of being loaned out for regular starting 11 football @ScottBrown8 then come home ready for the 1st team 🍀💚
— William Wallace (Billy) (@bhoyfreedombhoy) July 31, 2023
Why are we letting go so many Very gifted young players?
— Rosalie Duffy Hagart (@rosaliehagart7) July 31, 2023
Vata, Lawal and Kelly should be wrapped up in new contracts. I’m not saying they’re all Ben Doak material, but I sense they’ll get more of a chance under BR than AP squads. Option to loan out for development is better than selling imo.
— JaxQ (@JaxQ10) July 31, 2023
An absolute must keep
— 🛸Lewgy (@lewgy88) July 31, 2023
All the best lad .Money talks
— 🍀Penecelt 🇻🇦 (@penecelt) July 31, 2023
Everybody getting upset here, but if he got a run in the first team and has three bad games he’d get dogs abuse. The way we treat our own is a disgrace
— Bandolero (@gurja_tait) July 31, 2023
Soon as Elliot Fillingham gets his claws into young players you can almost be certain that player is moving on. It’s what he does.
— Football1967 (@Football19671) July 31, 2023
