Hazard believes Celtic youngsters can take heart from Hibs show

CONOR Hazard recognised the boost Celtic’s youngsters were given in the home Scottish Premiership game against Hibernian on Monday night.

Defender Christopher Jullien’s positive test for Covid-19 following the club’s return from a controversial training camp in Dubai led to 13 other first-team players having to self-isolate as close contacts along with manager Neil Lennon and assistant John Kennedy.

First-team coach Gavin Strachan, reserve boss Tommy McIntyre and his assistant Stephen McManus were in charge of a makeshift Hoops side and they oversaw American winger Cameron Harper make his debut with inexperienced Stephen Welsh also starting.

The Hoops ended up with debutant Armstrong OkoFlex and fellow youngsters Karamoko Dembele and Ewan Henderson on the pitch before Hibs striker

Kevin Nisbet cancelled out David Turnbull’s opener with an injury-time strike.

Hazard, 22, returned to play only his sixth game for Celtic and the man who was the penalty shoot-out hero in the 2020 William Hill Scottish Cup Final win against Hearts last month, speaking in the club’s match programme for tomorrow match against Livingston, said: “Not many people in the world get to put on the Celtic jersey, so I’m sure the younger guys coming into the squad this week felt the same way I felt recently.

“It’s always an honour and anyone who gets the chance to do so at a young age can take a real boost from that in their upcoming years.

“For me, it’s always about trying to get that experience of playing at this level, playing under pressure in every game and making sure every performance needs to count.”