Daniel Kelly, one of Celtic’s promising talents, made a notable impact last season, scoring his first senior goal for the club he grew up supporting. However, as his contract approaches its end, Kelly has turned down a new deal offered by Celtic, raising questions about his future.

Aidan Nesbitt, currently with Falkirk, has been observing Kelly’s rise with keen interest. Drawing from his own experiences, Nesbitt has some sage advice for the young player. Speaking to the Daily Record, he clarified the importance of making thoughtful career decisions and warned against outside influences who may not be working in Daniel’s best interests.

“Key decisions which are taken on the future of young players can definitely become crossroads and gambles which can have huge impacts on careers,” Nesbitt said.

Reflecting on his journey, Nesbitt noted, “I’m at the stage where I realise the potential I had as a young Celtic player and where I am now. I am happy where I am as a 27-year-old and feeling a part of something again. That was something I lost a bit when I left Celtic. There are so many factors which can make trying to reach your potential all the more difficult.”

He cautioned that leaving Celtic for new opportunities can be fraught with challenges. “Young players who opt to leave can find themselves in a completely new environment and things may not click for them as it had at Celtic. It might be the wrong club at the wrong time, the club may not be in the best place or it may be the wrong move for the individual. There will be numerous hurdles and challenges which will arise.”

“Daniel Kelly is the player being talked about at Celtic and nobody knows what goes on behind closed doors. But if there is a lot of potential there, then I’m sure Brendan Rodgers is the type of manager who could make him excel and progress.”

“Agents are there to look after the best interests of the player and also to look at the bigger picture, but let’s be honest, it all comes down to money and the finer things such as playing football where you’re most comfortable or best placed to learn aren’t always the primary concern.”

He further elaborated on the financial temptations facing young players. “Where you are best placed to progress in the long term gives way to where you can make a quick buck 90 per cent of the time. If huge clubs from down south or abroad come calling then it can be difficult to resist that and I see the pros and cons. I know what agents will be saying to players but without being specific, players can get injured, a variety of different things can happen in a footballer’s career which can lead to a player looking back and saying they should have taken the money. There are pros and cons for both staying at a club or leaving as a youngster but the grass isn’t always greener.”

Nesbitt also pointed out the allure of big cities and foreign clubs. “Young players want to live in big cities like London and are even willing to move to clubs in Germany and Italy. There are so many different factors in any decision for these kids. Celtic is the best place to progress if you’re a technical player.”

Kelly finds himself outside looking in at Celtic’s first team setup. The player and his agents were told months ago by Brendan Rodgers that if no deal had been reached by pre-season, there was no way he could bring Kelly into the reckoning. This appears to be the break off point between the club and the player. Unless something fundamentally changes, Kelly will exit Celtic in January, or sooner if Celtic find a buyer.

It’s a real shame, but perhaps Nesbitt has highlighted a greater issue with the player’s head being turned by agents who pretend to be acting in your best interests but manipulate the situation by showing young players figures they can get in the next two years and tell them it could all be gone in an instance with a bad injury.

It’s the game we live in and while Kelly is a Celtic fan he obviously now sees his future elsewhere and the ability to make decent money right now is more important than betting on yourself long term. That’s his prerogative.