Celtic talent calls for 'trust in the board', makes transfer stance clear and praises 'standout' teammate

Celtic defender Colby Donovan says he has full trust in the board to get it right in the transfer market this summer as the club looks to secure a sixth successive Scottish Premiership title.

The Scotland youth international started at right-back in the pre-season clash with Middlesbrough at the weekend, as the Scottish champions continued their preparations for the new campaign with a 1-1 draw against the Teessiders, with new signing Camilo Duran on target for the second game in succession.

The Colombian striker is the club’s only new addition so far this summer, and fans are becoming increasingly frustrated by the club’s lack of movement in the transfer market. However, the 19-year-old is remaining calm and is confident the club will add the required quality ahead of their league opener against Dundee on August 3 at Celtic Park.

• I watched Celtic friendly vs Middlesbrough and noted teenage promise, a gap plugged and duo's swansong

Donovan wants to kick on further at Celtic after his breakthrough at the club last season. | Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Ima

“We just go out on the park and play our football,” said Donovan in the aftermath of Saturday’s game. “Camilo has come in and you saw how good he looks. He’s made a brilliant start and that’s two goals in two games in pre-season. He looks really sharp. You see him pressing centre halves and goalkeepers, he’s tidy on the ball and has a nice left foot. He looks hard to play against and I certainly wouldn’t want to defend against him. You have to put your trust in the board that they’ll make the right decisions.”

Just his second full season in senior football, Donovan had been tentatively linked with a loan move away from the club during the early weeks of the summer transfer window. However, after making the breakthrough into the Celtic first-team last season and featuring for the club both domestically and in Europe, the teenager admits he wants to continue his footballing education at Celtic Park this season, even if competition for his position is fierce.

“Last season was mental,” admitted Donovan. “If someone had said to me at the start I would make 28 appearances for Celtic I would have bitten the hand off for it. It’s now about starting in the team and impressing the manager to hopefully keep it going. It was a rollercoaster campaign. At the start it was obviously a blow not getting into the Champions League but we bounced back.

Donovan has praised Alistair Johnston's World Cup performances for Canada, and is looking to continue to learn from him this coming campaign. | Getty Images

“Players made their debuts and are never heard from again. As a young player, you want to go on and make an impact. That’s all I was thinking. I want to play for Celtic and to do that you need to perform. There’s a lot of competition. You’ve got Tony [Anthony Ralston] and Ali [Johnston] – who are tremendous servants for the club. Having those two in front of you is tough, but it’s also really good. They give me lots of tips and you watch their games, how they defend and how they go forward.

“It pushes you even more to get to that level. It’s makes you think, ‘I need to play well here’. I watched Ali at the World Cup and he was probably the standout player for Canada. He was brilliant. He was probably man of the match in every game he played. You see him getting forward but he always manages to get back. He does so much for his country. It’s the same with us, he’s back now but he’s been working hard during his time off.”

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