Always up for the fight – Brendan Rodgers praises Colby Donovan

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The Celtic Star

·18 September 2025

Always up for the fight – Brendan Rodgers praises Colby Donovan

Brendan Rodgers gave his assessment of Celtic teenager Colby Donovan, who had his first senior start in a competitive match for the club against Rugby Park on Sunday afternoon…

Anthony Ralston is substituted for Colby Donovan. Celtic v Livingston, Scottish Premiership, Celtic Park – 23 August 2025. Photo Stuart Wallace Shutterstock

With both Alistair Johnston and Anthony Ralston sidelined with injuries, the Celtic manager had a decision to make on who should stand in at right back at what is one of the toughest away fixtures of the campaign. And he had no hesitation at all in throwing the 19 year-old Celtic Academy graduate into the fray.

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Gerry McCulloch, from Celtic TV today asked the Celtic manager about Colby Donovan’s debut and what it is about the teenager’s personality in and around the club that he likes so much.

Colby Donovan at Rugby Park, Kilmarnock v Celtic, 14 September 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

“Personality is everything if you want to succeed, especially at the highest level,” Brendan Rodgers said. “It’s not the most gifted players that always come through, it’s those guys that are consistent, they work hard and like I said, whenever it’s tough in games they show that personality and that’s what Colby is.”

The Celtic manager continued: “I have really liked him since I first saw him. He was going through some growth issues when I first came back but seeing him and seeing his personality every time he trained with the first team.

Colby Donovan of Celtic celebrates their goal to make it 1-2 Cork City v Celtic, Pre Season Friendly, Football, SuperValu Pairc Ui Chaoimh, Cork, Ireland – 08 July 2025. Photo Lorraine O’Sullivan Shutterstock

“It didn’t matter who he was training with. And I always think that you train with a view to fight. People talk about training the way that you play, for me you train the way you fight and that means that you’ll take that mentality into your games.

“And I see that in Colby. Every time he trains, he fights, he works and young players like that, you want to give opportunities to. So delighted for him,” Brendan Rodgers said.

“A Celtic boy, he has come through the system. So I put in him, not an easy task at all. His first game on an astro-turf pitch, weather conditions but he came through it and right at the very end he was the one that was in the box making the cross that leads to the penalty.”

Next up for Celtic is a trip to Firhill for the Premier Sports League Cup quarter-final against Partick Thistle on Sunday afternoon and in many ways this is an ideal opportunity for Donovan to build on first team experience with a difficult away match in the Europa League to come in Belgrade on Wednesday evening.

That will be a real test for Colby but like the Celtic manager said today, he’ll be well up for the fight.

Celtic TV has an exclusive interview with Brendan Rodgers available now to subscribers with a teaser video also available, which you can watch below. We’ll report on everything that the manager said on The Celtic Star for those who don’t have a subscription to the club’s channel.

Here’s what Sandman had to say about Colby Donovan in his Definitive Ratings on The Celtic Star on Sunday evening:

MELLOW YELLOW – 6/10 – He’s raw and appeared somewhat anxious for periods – overthinking things and forcing the issue more than he needed. When he settled, though, he was just fine and I like his optimistic approach – still willing to get up the park after sweating some late pressure and contributed greatly to the penalty award with a last-gasp bit of wing-play and had the wits to pick out Jamesy.

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