Academy Awards

Tommy McIntyre hails the current batch of graduates and their Glasgow Cup victory.

THE Celtic second-string finished the season with the Glasgow Cup and narrowly missed out on the league title, but for Tommy McIntyre the ultimate accolade has been seeing the young Hoops reach the first team and, in that regard, the success speaks for itself.

The young Celts just missed out on the SPFL Reserve League title after going into the last game of the season against St Johnstone neck-and-neck on points with Rangers. They won 3-2 but a goal difference of three denied them the title.

Success would not escape Celtic in cup competition, however. Tommy McIntyre’s side clinched the Glasgow Cup at Paradise with a dramatic 95th-minute winner against Rangers to win 3-2.

“It was great to win the Glasgow Cup and good to do that at Celtic Park as well,” said McIntyre. “That’s obviously a standout moment in the season. That came during a very emotional week as well with the passing of Billy McNeill and Stevie Chalmers, both of whom played in and won the Glasgow Cup. You sometimes forget how historical the Glasgow Cup is and about these greats who have played in it.

“The young players can take a lot from that, and experiences like that highlight the opportunities at their disposal to create history themselves.

“The manner in which we played and won the game, and the euphoria around it, was just incredible. It was a special night for the players, coaching staff and club.

“We had players like Mikey Johnston, Ewan Henderson, Ryan Mullen, Stephen Welsh and Jack Aitchison in the team. All of them have been in or around the first team, so they have valuable experience.