2 Celtic stars pen new contracts and man who knows claims Hoops are Premier League class – Parkhead news bulletin

Building for the future is a never-ending gig and Celtic have taken two big steps forward with new deals for a couple of talented youngsters in Adam Montgomery and Joey Dawson.

As the man who gave Kieran Tierney and Anthony Ralston his Hoops debuts, Brendan Rodgers knows a thing or two about youth development and that's continued to a point this season with Mitchel Frame, Daniel Kelly and Rocco Vata all given their first nods this season. Youngster Dawson will be hoping to continue that trend after an impressive season for the B-team and the 20-year-old midfielder has signed a one-year extension to 2025.

Montgomery is already well-known to fans but has had a difficult season with injury - which curtailed a January loan to Motherwell early. His existing deal was due to run to 2026 but he has signed an extension through to 2027, effectively covering a season that has been derailed by a hamstring problem.

• Joey Dawson - new deal to 2025

• Adam Montgomery - new deal to 2027

Elsewhere, former Hibs keeper Adam Bogdan reckons Celtic are 'more like a Premier League team' than anything else in Scotland. The Hungarian keeper, who previously spent four years at Liverpool and played in the English top flight, had an impressive six months at Easter Road under Neil Lennon before problems with concussion cost him. By the time he'd recovered, Lennon had been sacked, and he had lost his spot.

He later featured against the Hoops for Ferencvaros in the Europa League and he reckons playing against Celtic is like coming up against a top flight team down south - unlike other clubs in Scotland he's faced. Bogdan told Ladbrokes' Fanzone: "The Scottish league is funny because it's a little bit like a time-travel, sometimes. You know, some places you'd travel to and the games you'd be involved in... there was lots of playing long, and second balls. But then you play against Celtic, who are more like a Premier League team, and then Rangers, in front of 50,000 people.

"Then you go away to another game, where the standard feels more like League One, or League Two football. You get everything in Scotland, but I really enjoyed my time up there."

It's derby day this weekend and Celtic hero Paul Lambert doesn't believe Rangers stand a chance. He feels the pressure firmly on the Ibrox side could be the difference, and can't remember the last time he was impressed with them at a Parkhead derby.

Lambert told Betway: "The pressure on Rangers in the Scottish Premiership title race is on Rangers, without a shadow of a doubt. Celtic were in charge, then Rangers and now Celtic again. I can’t see Celtic relinquishing it now. Celtic will be in a stronger position and I think everything is going to hinge on the Old Firm game.

"Rangers have to go to Parkhead and when the Rangers don't get the win, it's over. They haven’t got a great record there. There will be some pressure on Celtic because there will be 63,000 on their backs, so it can work for you or it can work against you. Rangers will play without the burden of having to face criticism from their own fans and I’m not sure if Rangers can handle that.

"I can’t remember a game in which Rangers deserved to beat Celtic at Parkhead. I think Celtic at this moment in time are definitely in a stronger position."

Lambo also had a nibble at the idea of the Hoops, and Rangers, playing in the Premier League one day as he added: "If you gave Celtic and Rangers a couple of years in the Premier League with those finances, they would be up there without a shadow of a doubt. But some players can't handle the pressure of it because it's a massive, massive, massive pressure at two great clubs."