Celtic have had a brilliant season in the Scottish Premiership, but when it comes to the age breakdown of the players getting minutes, there’s a clear pattern. The Hoops squad is heavily reliant on players in their prime, aged between 26 and 29, who account for over half (50.9%) of all league minutes.
Only Hearts come close with a similar percentage, but no other club except the Ednburgh side in the Premiership leans so much on players in this age bracket. This heavy reliance on experienced players reflects Celtic’s current focus on immediate success and winning titles rather than developing younger players for the long term.
Celtic’s Daizen Maeda celebrates scoring their second goal REUTERS/Russell Cheyne
However, Celtic’s use of younger players, particularly those aged 21 or under, is worryingly low. Just 7.8% of the team’s total minutes are played by U21 players, one of the lowest percentages in the league. In comparison, Dundee leads the league with 24.8% of minutes played by players aged 21 or younger. This significant gap highlights a clear difference in approach between Celtic and other clubs when it comes to trusting and developing young talent. While Celtic’s strategy may ensure consistency and experience, it raises questions about the club’s commitment to nurturing their academy players and younger signings, which could limit their future potential.
Looking at the 22–25 age group, Celtic also fall behind in terms of playing time for players in this category. They only fielded players aged 22-25 for 21.9% of their minutes, a massive contrast to teams like Aberdeen, who gave 47.3% of their minutes to players in this age range. This highlights Celtic’s preference for skipping over the development phase of younger players and instead opting to sign players closer to their peak years, often from other leagues. This approach may bring short-term results but means Celtic miss out on the long-term benefits of developing players during this stage of their careers.
In terms of players aged 26-29, Celtic has 50.9% of their total minutes coming from this age group. Hearts has the highest percentage in the league with 52.9%. This heavy reliance on players in their prime shows that Celtic’s current squad is built to perform now, focusing on winning trophies domestically and in Europe rather than investing in long-term growth. While this approach provides immediate rewards, it also raises concerns about the future, as an over-reliance on players in their late twenties could lead to a lack of fresh talent and squad strength in coming years.
Celtic’s reliance on players aged 30 or older is more balanced, with 19.5% of their minutes coming from experienced players such as Callum McGregor, Kasper Schmeichel, and James Forrest. This places the Hops closer to the middle of the league compared to teams like Dundee, who rely on their older players for 28.6% of their minutes. Celtic’s use of experienced players offers leadership and stability, but it avoids an overdependence on aging players.
The CIES Football Observatory, which ranks teams from 65 leagues worldwide based on the percentage of league minutes played by players aged 21 or younger, shows the global trend towards starting younger players. Among the top teams, Strasbourg leads with 59.4% of their minutes played by players aged 21 or younger. Lommel in Belgium, owned by the City Group, records the highest figure worldwide at 69.4%.
Other top teams that trust their young players include Barcelona, Stade de Reims, River Plate of Uruguay, Envigado of Colombia, and Sogdiana of Uzbekistan. Strasbourg, with 98.8% of their league minutes played by players aged 25 or younger, holds the world record for youth involvement, showing a strong commitment to developing young talent.
When compared to these clubs, Celtic’s strategy of relying heavily on players aged 26-29 and older contrasts sharply with the growing trend of youth-focused teams. While Celtic’s strategy has delivered domestic success, it may be time for the club to reassess its approach and give more opportunities to younger players, particularly in the 21-25 age group.
The long-term sustainability of the squad depends on the development and integration of young players, which could provide a solid foundation for continued success in the future. Balancing immediate success with long-term growth will be crucial for Celtic’s continued dominance in Scottish football.
