It must be difficult for players like Liam Scales, Stephen Welsh, Osaze Urhoghide and the likes.
Arriving at a massive club like Celtic but receiving little to no opportunities in the first team.
How do keep motivated? How do you stop yourself from getting disenchanted?
Even with the squad thread bare, some of these players still can’t get a sniff.
Speaking on BBC Sportsound, Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou has revealed how he keeps those players on the fringes motivated and focused and it seems that, especially in the case of Liam Scales, it has worked, “Look, Scalesy, he’s worked his backside off without a lot of reward in terms of opportunities.
“And there’s a number in the squad like that and as I keep saying to them whether you’re playing or not, it’s what you’re doing on a daily basis that gets you ready for that.
“I can’t guarantee them when that opportunity is going to come but if they keep doing the right things, the opportunities will come.
“And he [Scales] did well today, not just with his goal, but just coming in having to deal with some some pressure there.
“Like all the other young players we give them the opportunities, give them the platform to improve and then the rest up to them.”
Ange, clearly, has the full squad on side and it’s his honesty that the players will appreciate.
They know they may not get a chance anytime soon, but what they do know is that if they at least show the application in training, the opportunity will come.
The players trust the gaffer. And that counts for a lot in this game.