Celtic sign 'highly-rated' forward once tracked by Arsenal

Celtic have announced the signing of young attacker Joey Dawson from Scunthorpe United.
Celtic Park. Picture: SNSCeltic Park. Picture: SNS
Celtic Park. Picture: SNS

The 18-year-old has put pen to paper on a three-year deal and will be placed in the colt team side ahead of their debut season in the Lowland League

Dawson was the youngster player in Scunthrope’s history to make his debut when he came on against Derby County in the first round of the English League Cup in 2019. He was then tracked by Arsenal but no move to the Emirates materialised.

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The player spoke to Celtic’s website about his delight at joining such a massive club as he looks forward to impressing next campaign against experienced and battle-hardened opponents.

He said: “I feel a bit overwhelmed. Looking around the stadium, you can sense the magnitude of the club and it’s one of the biggest clubs in Europe without a doubt. After seeing the facilities and meeting the people, it’s an honour to be here and I’m looking forward to getting started now.

“One thing that enticed me after talking to Chris McCart, Willie McStay and Tommy McIntyre was the winning mentality of this club and it’s something I want to be a part of.

"That can only breed success and it’s definitely something I’m looking forward to.

“I’m looking forward to is playing men’s football. It’ll change me and challenge my teammates. It’s something different that we haven’t had so far. I’m looking forward to meeting everyone, getting started, being competitive and, hopefully, to win as many games in that league as possible.

“I’m a striker first and foremost. I like to score goals and create goals. I can also be a handful if the team need to go a bit more direct, my size and presence can handle that. I feel like I can bring a bit of everything to the team.

“I want to be playing with the first-team as soon as possible. My aim is to straight away get into the Colts team, play well, score goals and get as high up the team as I can and into the first-team as soon as possible. That’s my ultimate aim.”

Dawson comes from a rich footballing background. His dad Andy played for Scunthorpe and Hull City and has had coaching spells with each of his former clubs, while his uncle Michael is a League Cup winner from his time at Tottenham Hotspur. He also won Spurs’ player of the year in one season where they earned a top four spot and a place in the Champions League, while he also won four caps for England. Joey’s other uncle, Kevin, played for Chesterfield and Nottingham Forest in more nomadic football career.

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The young Dawson credits his family with helping him grow and develop as a player.

He added: “I’m very lucky to have my uncle Michael and my Dad there to advise me. I used to sit down with my Dad and watch my games all the time. He would give me tips and he played the game for around 15 years so to have him as a supporter and parent has been invaluable to me.”

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