Why Celtic should look at starlet David Parkhouse as one for the future

According to claims from reputed journalist Pete O’Rourke, reigning Scottish champions Celtic are keeping tabs on Sheffield United starlet David Parkhouse. 

The 19-year-old, who is currently on loan at Derry City in the League of Ireland Premier Division, is out of contract with the Blades next summer, and Celtic are exploring the possibility to luring him to Parkhead with a pre-contract agreement in January. (h/t Pete O’Rourke)

The Northern Irishman is yet to make his senior bow for Sheffield United but he has already earned rave reviews for his performances at Derry City in the Irish top flight. 

Parkhouse initially joined Derry back in January on a six-month loan deal, which was later extended to the end of the Irish season in October and the talented teenager has made eyeballs turn with his consistently impressive displays in front of goal, racking up a tally of 18 goals in 32 appearances across all competitions. 

The youngster has represented Northern Ireland at all youth levels up to U-21 and recently featured in his nation’s U-21 European Championship qualifiers, although he is still awaiting his senior international debut. 

As per the report, Celtic are regularly sending scouts to run the rule over Parkhouse in the Irish top-flight and the 19-year-old might be on the verge of earning a coveted breakthrough very early in his professional career should the Hoops opt to go forward with a deal in January. 

To put things into perspective, David Parkhouse is still a relatively unknown entity to the fans at Parkhead but Celtic should strive hard to complete a deal for the youngster in January as one for the future. 

Rangers used the policy of pre-contract agreement to good effect in January last season to bolster their attack with the acquisition of Jake Hastie and Jordan Jones, and it is easy to see that Celtic agreeing on terms with Parkhouse during the mid-season trading period would be a shrewd move from manager Neil Lennon. 

Parkhouse is still very much in his formative years as a footballer but his prolific form in Ireland is definitely a promising sign early in his career and one would expect the 19-year-old to evolve into a top-quality professional in the years to come if he continues his rapid development. 

The Hoops brought in Republic of Ireland youth international Jonathan Afolabi on a free transfer from Southampton this summer, while also beating off competition from a number of clubs in the race for Bolton Wanderers’ prodigy Luca Connell.

Indeed, those moves clearly outline the club’s desire to invest in promising young talents in a bid to build a strong platform for the future and David Parkhouse could be yet another handsome addition to that list. 

To Read More Celtic News, Click Here:- Latest Celtic News

To sum it up, Parkhouse has a lot of potential and Celtic should leave no stone unturned in their pursuit of the 19-year-old.