TOMMY’S LEGACY

Ten kids from youth ranks have played part in Celtic’s 63-match unbeaten run and it’s all down to legend Burns’ vision

Ten academy kids have played their part in Celtic’s unbeaten run as legend Burns’ Lennoxtown vision bears fruit for club he loved

JOHN SLUDDEN watched the late Tommy Burns hit the start button on the conveyor belt of young Celtic talent.

It’s just over a decade since the Hoops opened the doors of their state-of-the-art training base at Lennoxtown with the production line now the most prolific in the country.

But Sludden believes that quality control which saw 10 academy kids feature in the club’s record-breaking 63-game unbeaten domestic run is a lasting tribute to the man who put the template in place.

SFA stats show the Parkhead side have produced more players from their academy than any other club in the country with 18 featuring in the Champions League over a 15-year period.

An incredible 55 kids have graduated to competitive Celtic debuts while 168 of them went on to have professional careers elsewhere as downtrodden Barrowfield has been replaced with a football factory at the foot of the Campsie Hills.

And Sludden, who spent 12 years as a development coach with the champions, insists Burns has a legacy in his own image.

He said: “The secret to the success of any football academy is the way it’s structured and Celtic’s ability to develop players through to the first team is all down to one man – Tommy.

“Lennoxtown is his legacy. The DNA of Celtic’s development programme was created by Tommy and it is now part of the fabric of everything that’s done at that level. I was there when the doors to the training complex were opened for the first time and it was testament to all the hard work Tommy had put in.

“He was instrumental in getting it from planning stage right through to its completion and all that hard work is now coming to fruition.

“But it wasn’t about the bricks and mortar with him – he understood the need to bring in the right type of people to ensure youngsters were being nurtured as footballers and as people.

“Lennoxtown was Tommy’s baby. It was incredible the amount of time and energy he spent on it. He’s no longer with us but he still remains a massive influence over so many people at the club.”

James Forrest, Kieran Tierney, Callum McGregor, Jamie McCart, Anthony Ralston, Calvin Miller, Liam Henderson, Jack Aitchison, Michael Johnston and Eoghan O’Connell are the homegrown players who have helped rewrite the history books.

And Sludden believes they’re torchbearers for the Burns ethos based on hard work and honesty.

He said: “Tommy set the standard for everyone connected with Celtic’s academy – the staff, coaches and the players. Everyone.

“It’s about having a work ethic and integrity in your job and that has been carried on right through the time Lennoxtown has been in operation.

“I remember the pride he had when the doors opened. He wanted an academy that would be the best in the country and now he has that.

“There’s no magic formula. The answer can be found in the number of people who are still working at Celtic who came through the academy programme from day one with Tommy. They saw the way he worked and they’re continuing that.

“It was morning, noon and night with Tommy. You would see him around the park all day and he’d still be there when they were switching the lights off at the end of the night.

“It was a labour of love for him to help usher along these kids.

“Tommy was just being Tommy – that enthusiasm he had rubbed off on everybody.

“You see it in the good work from people like head of youth Chris McCart and Martin Miller,