Barry Hepburn’s ill-fated move from Celtic to Bayern Munich, followed by his current status as a free agent, serves as a cautionary tale for young players eager to leave home too soon.
Hepburn departed Celtic’s academy at just 16, lured by the glamour of Bayern. Yet, at 20, after a handful of appearances for Bayern’s second team and a string of unremarkable loan spells, he finds himself without a club. His story is far from unique.
Liam Morrison, another Celtic prodigy who switched to Bayern, has since joined QPR, where his opportunities have been similarly limited.
Meanwhile, Ben Doak, who made a high-profile switch to Liverpool, is also struggling to make a breakthrough in one of football’s toughest environments.
These cases underscore a recurring issue: young Scottish talents leaving Celtic prematurely, only to encounter difficulties transitioning into top-level football elsewhere. It’s a trend that should concern Celtic.
The Glasgow club has a proud history of developing homegrown stars. Callum McGregor and Kieran Tierney, for instance, rose through the ranks, following a more measured path within the club’s structure to become first-team regulars.
Celtic’s task now is to stop this exodus by offering a clearer pathway for young talents, showing them they don’t need to seek fortune and fame abroad so quickly.
If players can see a tangible future at Celtic, they may resist the lure of lucrative moves elsewhere. As Hepburn’s case demonstrates, the grass is not always greener on the other side. This should serve as a lesson for both the club and its emerging stars.