Celtic ‘dropping’ Sibbald was blessing

CRAIG Sibbald describes this weekend’s Communities League Cup semi-final clash between Falkirk and Celtic as “the biggest game of my life”.

The 16-year-old, a product of the SFA-backed football performance school Graeme High, only made his debut for Falkirk in July and Sunday will see him step out at Hampden Park for the first time.

The tie has an extra significance for Sibbald because, having started out with Falkirk at just eight years old, he was picked up and then, to use his own word, “dropped” by Celtic. He was only ten years old.

The SFA’s elite player development programme benefitted Sibbald, but also proved a tough learning curve.

“I was meant to be going to Falkirk High School but the football academy was at Graeme High School, so I had to leave all my pals, which in first year was quite tough,” he said. “It was quite hard to make pals because the other kids in the school were thinking we must have been big stuff because we were footballers.

“It is a good thing to get going, because every day you are working on your touch and technique. The extra hours definitely help.”

The experience made him stronger and he has no regrets about being so quickly rejected by Celtic.

“Leaving Celtic was the best thing that ever happened to me,” he said. “You see a lot of the other Celtic players and they are not really getting a chance. I am just happy to be getting my chance here [at Falkirk].”