Hibs breakout star Josh Doig has been advised to follow the Kieran Tierney path when it comes to his career after having a standout season under Jack Ross at Hibernian.
Former Hibs boss and Celtic Assistant manager John Collins was full of praise for Doig but believes he’s a long way off a move to England.
Collins believes the defender would be best staying at Hibs or in Scotland to develop his game as much as he can. Like Kieran Tierney, he could have left Celtic before he actually did but the player stayed and developed his game so he was a straight starter for Arsenal down south.
The potential is Doig is great at the moment and if I was a scout at Celtic, he would be on my list as a potential left-back for next season.
Celtic should be hoovering up some of the best talent in the Scottish game in time for next season BUT not to the detriment of their development. Any signings have to be looked at as players who can come into the first team and do a job straight away.
Could Doig timeshare the role with another left back or could he be the man to take Greg Taylors slot next term?
Celtic have missed on some top talent to down south, it’s important we identify and make deals happen when they arise.
Collins is in no doubt about the defender’s ability, speaking to SunSport he said:
“At this moment in time, England is a long way off for him.
“He’s only 18 and in his first season at Hibs, so the advice I would give him is to stay where he is at the moment.
“It’s hard to knock back big offers, but I’ve always felt for a professional footballer the most important thing is the first-team jersey. You can go somewhere and get more money, but if you are sitting on the bench or in the stand, life isn’t quite as fun.
“It’s about getting the balance right. The financial rewards will be there, but it’s about choosing the right moment and time to go.
“So many times we see players move too early and disappear.
“These English clubs have huge squads and they just stock up on young talent with potential.
“A great example for Doig is Kieran. He was a regular for many years at Celtic and moved to Arsenal at the right time.
“It was good money for Celtic and good wages for Kieran.
“But most important of all, he is a first-team player at Arsenal. He didn’t go as a squad player too young. As an 18-year-old young player, I think you always want to be playing week in, week out.
“It’s about choosing the right time to move on and it’s always difficult if the big clubs come in and make big offers.
“But at this moment he’s developing and showing excellent potential and a terrific attitude.
“Doig has been the highlight of Hibs’ season so far.
“I have enjoyed watching his appetite, his desire to get forward.
“He’s a player that, when you watch him, he 100 per cent sprints up and back again. That’s something you don’t often see and it catches your eye. He’s got that real desire to get up and support.
“For his first season, he’s done a terrific job, but there’s still a long way to go for him.
“He still has to work on his final delivery into the box, but he’s shown enormous potential.”
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