BLUES ACE BEN’S OFF TO CELTIC

A CO Antrim youngster has landed a big move to Scottish giants Celtic.

Ballymena teenager Ben Wylie put pen-to-paper on a deal with the Hoops on Thursday at Parkhead.

It is a massive move for the 15-year-old who had been on the radar of a number of top clubs.

Wylie (above) will join up with his new team-mates next month for pre-season.

The gifted midfielder earned his move after impressing for Linfield Rangers and also starring for Northern Ireland at underage level.

And for Linfield senior boss David Healy it is no surprise that the young star has been snapped up by a club as big as Celtic.

“It is great to see Ben signing the contract with Celtic. He will head over in the next week or so to start his apprenticeship,” Healy told Belfast Live.

“He was at Linfield for a number of years and anytime I watched him he always impressed.

“He has played youth football at international level for the past couple of years and also played a big part in our Youth Cup final team.

“Ben has always been held in high regard and he has been watched by a number of clubs in England and Scotland.

“He has had the chance to sign for a good club that will look after him and really develop him as a player. We wish him every success.”

Ben was part of County Antrim’s success at the Supercupni last summer, captaining the Junior team to victory over GPS Bayern. He also played for Northern Ireland’s U15s during their tour of Austria that summer.