Celtic continued their perfect start to the Scottish Premiership season this afternoon, defeating St Mirren on a 3-0 scoreline at St Mirren Park.
It was a dominant performance from Brendan Rodgers' side, who all but ended the game as a contest before halftime with goals from Callum McGregor and Reo Hatate. Alistair Johnston would add a third in the closing stages, ensuring that Celtic maintained their 100 per cent record to kick off the campaign.
Ireland Adam Idah started this game, his first time in the starting XI since joining the club on a permanent basis last week. Another player, who made his debut for the Hoops on the day, is also eligible to one day become teammates with Idah at international level.
READ HERE: Sean Dyche Makes Baffling Jake O'Brien Call As Awful Start To The Season Continues
Ireland Eligible Teenager Makes First Team Debut For Celtic
Francis Turley would come on in the 89th minute of this game, making his Celtic debut in the process.
The 18-year old is a Belfast native, having joined the club from Glentoran in 2022. Having impressed in the youth ranks at Parkhead, he is now looking to nail down a place in the first team squad.
Turley has been part of Northern Ireland squads up to U19 level, but as someone born on the island of Ireland, he would also be eligible to represent the Republic of Ireland should he so choose.
💚 𝗔 𝗯𝗶𝗴 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁
18-year-old Francis Turley makes his first-team debut for Celtic, coming on for Reo Hatate 👦 pic.twitter.com/Itw5weHPsQ— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) August 25, 2024
👏 Congratulations to Francis Turley, who made his competitive debut for the Bhoys this afternoon! 💪#STMCEL | #CelticFC🍀 pic.twitter.com/0DDumbtEiJ
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) August 25, 2024
It remains to be seen if he would be interested in switching his international allegiances to the Republic of Ireland, although the FAI will no doubt ask the question on the back of his breakthrough in Glasgow. He hails from Ardoyne, an area which boasts a largely nationalist population.
A player born in Northern Ireland choosing to move to Celtic after being a boyhood fan of the club may have previously pointed towards a desire to represent the Republic of Ireland, although such cases are no longer as clearcut.
The IFA have made a major push towards attracting players of a catholic and/or nationalist background into the Northern Ireland setup in recent times. Conor Bradley is one example, with the Liverpool player opting to play for the North despite having been brought up in a nationalist part of Tyrone.
Northern Ireland have also made a point of capping such prospects as early as possible at senior level, something they may well look to do once again in the case of Francis Turley.
Still, his presence in the Celtic squad will no doubt lead to speculation about his international future.
SEE ALSO: Report - Premier League Club Considering Shock Swoop For Evan Ferguson
