The teenage talent has been in impressive form for the Hoops youth team this season.
Celtic head into the November international break – the last of the year – on the back of a win as they thumped Aberdeen 6-0 at Parkhead on Sunday.
The Hoops needed a reaction after they were comfortably beaten by Atletico Madrid by the same scoreline in the Champions League earlier that week.
Brendan Rodgers’ side bounced back to secure an impressive win against the Dons, thanks to goals from Kyogo Furuhashi, Hyun-jun Yang, Luis Palma, David Turnbull, and Hyeon-gyu Oh (x2).
Goals have certainly not been hard to come by for the Bhoys this season as they have racked up an outstanding 34 Scottish Premiership goals in 13 matches, which is eight more than any other team.
Rodgers has a host of players who have showcased their ability to find the back of the net on a regular basis, as shown by the table above, and there is no immediate need to make any further additions to the attack during the January transfer window – from a scoring perspective.
However, the Hoops do have a player in the academy right now who has outscored all of the aforementioned options and is surely pushing for a first-team spot – Rocco Vata.
The teenage Lennoxtown starlet has enjoyed an impressive season so far at academy level and has scored more goals than first-team stars Matt O’Riley and Kyogo in all competitions.
O’Riley’s season in numbers
Celtic’s sublime central midfielder has been in fine goalscoring form for the Scottish giants this term and has racked up six goals in 17 games in total.
His Premiership form has been particularly eye-catching as the 22-year-old maestro has showcased his ability to score and create goals on a consistent basis.
O’Riley has registered six goals and five assists in 12 league matches for the Hoops throughout the 2023/24 campaign, which means that he has averaged almost a goal contribution every game on average.
This highlights how important the talented whiz has been for the Parkhead outfit as his involvement in the final third has led to great success.
The Denmark U21 international has been a constant creative threat for the club with an outstanding 2.9 key passes per match, which is 0.3 more per outing than any of his teammates have managed.
He only found the back of the net three times in 38 Premiership clashes during the 2022/23 season and has been able to step up his game in front of goal this term with Rodgers at the helm, after Ange Postecoglou’s departure to Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur over the summer.
The former MK Dons star is a reliable attacking option from midfield for Celtic and has proven that he has the quality to deliver goals and assists with impressive regularity from the middle of the park, which is why he is one of the team’s star players.
Kyogo’s season in numbers
Meanwhile, Kyogo has not been at the peak of his powers but has still been a goalscoring threat for the Hoops with eight goals in 18 matches in all competitions this season.
The Japan international is Celtic’s joint-top scorer in the Premiership, as aforementioned, with six strikes in 13 appearances so far this term. This means that the forward has averaged a goal every 2.17 league games.
Whereas, the 28-year-old marksman enjoyed a phenomenal 2022/23 campaign as he produced a stunning 27 goals in 36 Premiership clashes for the Bhoys. This was a return of one finish every 1.33 outings on average for the Scottish giants.
These statistics suggest that Kyogo’s form has dipped this season after his incredible performance in front of goal last term, as he has scored less frequently.
The right-footed finisher has, however, improved his Champions League output with a return of two goals in four European clashes so far this season, with goals against Atletico Madrid and Lazio.
This has come after his dismal production of zero goals and one assist in six group stage matches in the competition during the 2022/23 campaign.
Rodgers could now unearth another terrific goalscoring threat for his team, alongside O’Riley and Kyogo, by promoting Vata, who has outscored both of them, to the senior squad.
Rocco Vata’s season in numbers
The 18-year-old starlet has been in phenomenal form for the academy side and has showcased his ability to find the back of the net with impressive regularity.
Football talent scout Jacek Kulig once claimed that the Irish ace has an “exciting” future ahead of him in the game, which is backed up by his statistics so far this term.
Playing for the B Team, Vata has smashed in an eye-catching nine goals in seven Lowland League matches for the young Hoops, which is one goal every 0.78 games on average.
The talented whiz has also scored one goal in one Challenge Cup clash and is, therefore, into double figures for goals for the 2023/24 campaign.
His superb form has come off the back of a return of 11 goals and one assist in 28 appearances in all competitions for the club, which included four Premiership outings.
He is a versatile forward who can play through the middle as a number nine, in an attacking midfield role, or out wide on either flank. This means that Rodgers could use him in a variety of ways and that there are a number of positions in which he could make his first-team breakthrough in.
Postecoglou handed him four substitute appearances in the league last season and the talented teenager impressed with two ‘big chances’ created for his teammates in just 44 minutes of action.
He, therefore, showcased his creative qualities at first-team level and could provide a spark of invention in the final third for the Hoops in the future, whilst his current form for the academy side indicates that the young gem also has a scoring streak to be unearthed by Rodgers.
If Vata can replicate anywhere near the kind of goalscoring prowess that he has shown for the B Team for the senior outfit then the Ireland U21 international could be a star for the club moving forward.
