At long last Jackson Irvine cleared to play with Celtic Written by Craig MacKenzie / Tuesday 7th December 2010
IT’S official! Victorian teenager Jackson Irvine has signed a two-year youth deal with Scottish club Celtic.
Irvine trialled successfully with the Glasgow-based outfit last December but had to wait for almost a year to secure an international clearance.
FIFA contacted Football Federation Australia about this matter some time ago and GW understands that Professional Footballers’ Australia had to give FFA a nudge before the necessary paperwork finally arrived at Celtic.
Ironically, Celtic’s youth season has been interrupted by national call-ups and also the severe weather that has hit the UK recently.
Irvine also injured ankle ligaments and has been out of action for over three months. The 17-year-old only recently returned to full training and can’t wait to make his league debut.
“My injury was a really bad one. I completely ruptured all the ligaments on my left ankle during a 50/50 challenge with our goalkeeper at training,” said Irvine.
“I went to hospital and had scans on it straight away. I was on crutches for three and a half weeks with a ski boot on my foot.
“Overall I was out for around three and half months but the physios were expecting it to be longer so I was very happy to get back as soon as I did.
“I’m back in full training now, although I’m lacking a bit in match fitness, but that is to be expected I suppose. Hopefully I can get a couple of games in before the Christmas break.”
Irvine is a former Endeavour United and Knox City junior and had a short spell with Richmond’s youth team. He also played for Southern Blue Tongues in the Victorian Champions League summer competition.
His breakthrough season came in 2009 when he joined Frankston Pines in Victoria’s State League Division One.
Pines were coached by Tommy O’Halloran and after just one game in the reserves against Northcote he was promoted to the first team and enjoyed a stellar debut senior season winning the club’s best and fairest award and the players’ player-of-the-year trophy.
O’Halloran had switched the midfielder to right back and his talents attracted the interest of A-League franchise Melbourne Victory.
Irvine trialled with Victory’s youth team and in November 2009 played against Perth Glory. It was to be his one and only national youth league appearance.
O’Halloran arranged for the youngster to trial with Celtic last December and the Scottish giant was impressed straight away.
It was an amazing turnaround in fortunes for the teenager given that he never represented Victoria at junior level, failed to win a Victorian Institute of Sport scholarship and was not offered a youth contract at Victory.“Getting a contract at Celtic means the world to me. I always dreamed about moving overseas to play football, but when the opportunity actually came, it was a massive shock for me and my family,” said Irvine.
“The club itself is such a wonderful club to be a part of. It’s amazing getting to train with world class players and coaches every day and I feel myself improving as a player almost daily.
“Hopefully after two years I can earn myself a pro contract but I understand how difficult a task that is.”
Irvine comes from a footballing family. His father Steve played with Morwell Falcons, Croydon, Doveton and Sandringham City.