Former Celtic winger singles out Colby Donovan for praise after Rangers defeat | OneFootball

Aiden McGeady has singled out Colby Donovan as one of the few Celtic players to emerge with credit from the defeat to Rangers – but believes his breakthrough also highlights a wider problem at Parkhead.

13th September 2026; Ibrox. Scottish League Cup Football, Rangers versus Celtic; Emmanuel Fernandez of Rangers and Colby Donovan of Celtic challenge for the ball. Photo Vagelis Georgariou

The 20-year-old has established himself in the Celtic first team this season and has now been rewarded with a place in Sebastien Pocognoli’s first Scotland squad.

Donovan is with the national team in Spain for a training camp ahead of their Nations League opener against Slovenia on Saturday, where he could make his senior international debut.

Former Celtic winger McGeady was encouraged by the academy graduate’s display against Rangers, despite another difficult afternoon for Martin O’Neill’s side.

“Colby Donovan is an academy player who came through the system, and it’s always good to see young players getting a chance,” he told Daily Record.

“He was probably one of the few who came away with some praise for sticking to his task, but it was tough for him.

“He was up against Gassama, who was very direct and quick. At times, Gassama got the better of him, but it’s encouraging to see academy graduates out there. That said, it highlights a wider issue, we simply don’t have enough young players coming through and playing in the first team.

“To be honest, Donovan is likely playing by default because Alistair Johnston has been injured. In an ideal setup, you’d want four or five academy graduates in that Celtic squad.

“Increasing domestic game time is something the SFA is actively looking into, as the national team suffers when Scotland ranks among the lowest in minutes given to homegrown players.”

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