Celtic FC opinion: Hoops linked with youngster Tom Leighton – Scout report

According to a report in Daily Record, Scottish champions Celtic are interested in signing Watford youngster Tom Leighton during the summer transfer window.

The 18-year-old, who progressed from the Motherwell academy that has already produced the likes of David Turnbull, Jake Hastie and Chris Cadden, moved to England in Hertfordshire in 2017.

Although he hasn’t yet featured for the Watford first-team yet, he is an experienced youth team player for them, having plied his trade for the U-23s and the U-19s.

Now the teenager wants to return to Scotland, with Celtic hovering around the offer a deal (h/t Daily Record). Even though he may not fit directly into first-team at Parkhead, Leighton can enhance the quality of Hoops’ youth team.

Without further ado, let’s take an in-depth look about the player in a detailed scout report:

Scout Report – Tom Leighton

Tom Leighton is a prodigious young player, who initially learnt his trade in the Motherwell Academy. He is a ball-playing centre-back, who likes to dominate centre-forwards physically and play the ball out from the back without much fuss.

Since moving to Watford, he has represented their U-19s and U-23s and impressing everyone around. In terms of international experience, the teenager has played five games for the Northern Ireland U-19 side. Furthermore, he once trained with the Benfica academy as well.

Summing up in a sentence, Leighton is a classic representation of a modern-day centre-back, who can play in midfield, if the manager wants him to.

If Celtic sign him this summer, they would really benefit from it. The 18-year-old has loads of potential. With what we have seen from him so far, Leighton could be a fantastic player in the first-team in the coming years.

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Conclusion

The Scottish Champions shouldn’t hesitate in signing Tom Leighton and enhancing the quality of their academy. If groomed nicely, he could play for their first-team very soon.