Mitchel Frame, Celtic’s Pathway Problem, Vata, Cummings and Doak

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The Celtic Star

·27 March 2026

Mitchel Frame, Celtic’s Pathway Problem, Vata, Cummings and Doak

Mitchel Frame has opened up on his departure from Celtic, his decision to turn down a move to Liverpool, and his patience in pursuing first-team opportunities at Aberdeen…

The young left-back made his senior debut at the Hoops under Brendan Rodgers, coming on during a 3-2 Champions League win against Feyenoord at just 17 years old.

That outing proved to be his only appearance for the club, with Frame failing to feature in a matchday squad over the following 18 months.

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Mitchel Frame of Celtic vieds with Dávid Hancko of Feyenoord as he makes his first team debut during the UEFA Champions League match between Celtic FC and Feyenoord at Celtic Park Stadium on December 13, 2023. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

He ultimately opted against a switch to Anfield, choosing instead to join Aberdeen, and has since revealed his thoughts on both that decision and his exit from Celtic.

Speaking to the Daily Record about the interest from Liverpool, Frame said: “Yes, [Liverpool] was obviously on the cards, but I felt like I needed men’s football instead of just playing at the 23s.”

“I feel if you come to men’s football, you develop a lot quicker and a lot faster. I felt like I needed that challenge of first team. I’d been playing at under-18s and B team with Celtic.

“I just feel like there’s only so much you can do at that age, where you can only develop so long. I feel like I needed to play first team football.”

When asked how he felt having to wait five months before making his Dons debut, Frame said: “It was frustrating. It could get difficult at times because it felt like sometimes you’re maybe just training for no end goal. You just have to stick at it and just make sure you’re ready at all times.”

“I would say to [Jimmy Thelin about getting a chance], but I didn’t want it to seem as if I was too desperate. So I just kept my head down and kept working hard. He just said that it was to develop me as a player because I was young.”

“He said he’d seen a lot of potential, but he just said that I need to keep training hard and keep going and my chance would eventually come, but I don’t know. It was tough because five months in and I hadn’t really had a chance.”

Daniel Cummings of Celtic scores his team’s first goal during the Celtic v Slovan Bratislava – UEFA Youth League 2024/25 match at The City Stadium on September 18, 2024. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Celtic’s recent failing in the transfer market have been widely discussed on here and elsewhere. Less spoken about in the context to this season’s turmoil is the complete lack of pathway for young players.

Rocco Vata of Celtic celebrates after he scores his team’s fifth goal during the the Celtic v Buckie Thistle – Scottish Cup match at Celtic Park on January 21, 2024. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Had that been in place and even with the transfer decision making shambles we could for example have had a front three at Tannadice on Sunday of Rocco Vata, Daniel Cummings and Ben Doak – all three are goalscorers. All three failed to see a pathway opening up for them at Celtic.

Ben Doak and Greg Taylor of Celtic celebiate victory after the Scottish Premiership match between Celtic FC and theRangers at on February 02, 2022 (Photo by Mark Runnacles/Getty Images)

All three of those young stars came through at Celtic, played in the B Team, got very limited game-time and despite being Celtic supporters themselves could see no pathway to the first team.

Fair play to Mitchel Frame for opting for Aberdeen for first team football rather than Liverpool U23s. That at least would have been better than the shambolic Lowland League fiasco than needs binned.

When Celtic are winning trebles and well clear at the top of the table no-one is interested in this point. However Celtic does need to have a pathway to the first team especially when you look at the majority of the signings we have brought over the past two windows and the money that has been wasted.

Conor Spence

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