For all the brilliance of Ange Postecoglou’s tenure at Celtic thus far, one area in which the 56-year-old has been somewhat lacking is with regards to the club’s youth department, with few having forced their way into the first-team reckoning from the academy set-up in recent times.

While centre-back Stephen Welsh is one notable success story, there has perhaps been a reluctance to hand regular minutes to the Glasgow’s side emerging talent, with the former Yokohama boss having scoured the market to help bolster his squad, rather than look closer to home.

One talent who is currently shining brightly at youth level is 19-year-old, Bosun Lawal, with the young Irishman having caught the eye in the club’s B team of late, scoring five goals in just ten appearances for this term.

A midfielder by trade who has largely featured at centre-back during his time in Glasgow, the youngster was plucked from Watford last summer, with the Hoops reportedly securing a £120k deal ahead of the likes of Chelsea and Norwich City.

While yet to make a senior appearance in Postecoglou’s side since then, the versatile colossus has sparkled in the development squad thus far, having been dubbed “superb” by talent scout Jacek Kulig.

Likened to Portuguese colossus William Carvalho for his imposing and dominant presence, Lawal has also been lauded by former Hornets skipper Troy Deeney, with the Englishman praising him for his ability to “get past people effortlessly” from his midfield berth.

Such a glowing assessment could perhaps evoke similarities to former Parkhead hero Victor Wanyama, with the Kenya international also having been a real commanding figure in the centre of the park during his time at the club.

Plucked from Belgian side Beerschot in 2011, the 6 foot 2 titan went on to become a real leading figure under Neil Lennon over the next two seasons, scoring 13 goals and providing nine assists in 91 appearances for the Scottish Premiership side.

Also comfortable at both centre-back and in a defensive midfield role – much like Lawal – the current CF Montreal man is perhaps best remembered by Hoops supporters for his goal in the remarkable 2-1 victory over Barcelona in 2012, as Lennon’s men saw off the glittering Catalan outfit against all odds.

His stellar form unsurprisingly caught the attention of a host of suitors as he was eventually snapped up by Southampton in 2013 on a £12.5m deal, representing a major profit on their initial £900k investment.

Celtic will no doubt be hoping they can discover a new Wanyama-esque figure in Lawal should the teenager be handed a chance as the season progresses, such was the impact that the now 31-year-old made during his brief spell in Scotland.