UEFA Youth League provided the perfect grounding , insists Welsh
IF selected for Celtic this evening against Real Betis, Stephen Welsh will not be letting the opportunity to impress against top European opposition pass him by, with the defender crediting a part of his development as a player to facing up to some of the top young stars the continent has to offer.
When he was coming through the ranks at the club, Welsh got the chance to play against under-19 sides from some of Europe’s biggest clubs in the UEFA Youth League, and he cherished the experience despite some bruising defeats.
And he believes that a run-out against Betis this evening would be a similarly valuable learning curve for any young players who are lucky enough to be selected by manager Ange Postecoglou.
“When the first team were in the Champions League, I had a couple of seasons in the UEFA Youth League,” Welsh said. “I played against PSG, Bayern, Barcelona and some of the top young players in the world and it was a great experience.
“But to kick on at firstteam level in Europe is probably the hardest thing. It’s a big jump from under-19 level to firstteam level, but I have managed to do that and I am really looking forward to it.
“A couple of the games were at Cappielow and one or two at Dumbarton as well.
“It is a massive jump to go from playing the top young players in the world at these places to playing the top world-class players at Celtic Park.
“Cappielow was probably a shock to the system for some of those boys as well, coming over and playing in the freezing cold. But I’m sure most of them have kicked on into the first team. And I want to do the same.
“Lining up against them you know they are the best players in Europe in that age group and it’s good to test yourself against them.
“Especially when you go away with the Scotland Under-21s. We played against Belgium a couple of weeks ago and they are the best players at that age group, so it’s good to test yourself against these players and see just what level you are at and see where you need to get to.”
That is why Welsh does not entertain any notions that this game is anything less than crucial, despite the fact Celtic are already out of the tournament.
“In terms of the actual position in the group it doesn’t mean anything, but for the players who are going to come in and play, it’s a good opportunity to prove yourself against a good side on the European stage,” he said
“You can’t get much bigger than playing in Europe against top sides, so it will be a good chance for us to go and show what we can do and play our own football
“Hopefully it will be a big European night at Celtic Park, and that’s something I’ve always wanted to be involved in as well.”