Celtic went into the international break in first place in the Scottish Premiership after they beat St. Johnstone 3-1 in Glasgow in their last match.
The Hoops picked up all three points at Parkhead thanks to goals from Kyogo Furuhashi, James Forrest, and Nicolas Kuhn, which sent them to the top of the division after their rivals had their game postponed to a waterlogged pitch at Dundee.
Brendan Rodgers' side need to have a strong end to the 2023/24 campaign to avoid a trophyless season, after they were knocked out of the League Cup by Kilmarnock in August and finished bottom of their Champions League group.
This international break has provided a chance for some of Celtic's crop of injured players to nurse their way back to fitness, and – in some cases – it has offered players who are not playing many first-team minutes an opportunity to catch the eye whilst playing for their country.
Hoops teen Rocco Vata is yet to establish himself as a regular in the senior side but Rodgers may now want to finally unleash the young gem after his phenomenal display for Ireland at U21 level on Friday.
Rocco Vata's performance against San Marino
The 18-year-old magician lined up as one of the three attacking midfielders behind Sinclair Armstrong against San Marino in the U21 clash at the end of last week.
He recorded a sensational Sofascore rating of 9.9/10 for his performances in the match, with three goals scored and one chance created in a 7-0 thumping.
Vata's first goal came after a series of errors at the back by the opposition defence. They failed to deal with Tony Springett's initial shot and then a sliced clearance allowed the Celtic teen to volley the ball into an empty net.
As you can see in the clip above, his second goal came just after the hour-mark as the midfielder picked the ball up on the half-turn in the opposition's half before brilliantly jinking past one defender before rifling a long-range effort into the bottom corner.
He completed his hat-trick in stoppage time at the end of the match after Bosun Lawal – his former B team teammate who is currently on loan with Fleetwood Town in England – fired a shot towards goal that the midfielder deflected in, much to the versatile defender's frustration as he appeared to be gutted that Vata got a touch on the ball that seemed to be going in anyway.
The Celtic starlet, who also completed four dribbles during the game, showcased his lethal finishing at the top end of the pitch from an attacking midfield position, and Rodgers should take notice of that.
Daniel Kelly has had plenty of first-team opportunities in recent weeks and should now be moved over to make room for Vata to make his mark at senior level, or be played alongside his B team colleague.
Daniel Kelly's season in numbers
The Scotland U19 international, who did not score or assist a goal in his side's 3-1 defeat to Italy last week, has made five first-team appearances for the club this season.
His emergence for Rodgers' men came after a return of one goal and zero assists in 15 appearances in the Lowland League, along with two goals in six UEFA Youth League outings as a central and attacking midfielder.
Last season, Kelly was predominantly deployed as a defensive or central midfielder and failed to contribute with a goal or an assist in 20 matches for the B team and Youth League side.
Appearances
3
Minutes played
84
Goals
1
Key passes
0
Pass accuracy
84%
Duel success rate
33%
As you can see in the table above, the 18-year-old maestro has almost racked up 90 minutes of Premiership action for the Scottish giants this season, and has scored his first senior goal.
The teenage dynamo brilliantly curled the ball into the far corner from Hyun-jun Yang's cross into the box in a 7-1 win over Dundee towards the end of February.
However, his aforementioned statistics at youth level do not suggest that the midfielder is likely to provide consistent quality as a scorer or creator of goals from the middle of the park.
Whereas, Vata's form for Celtic B, and his exceptional performance for Ireland, shows that the potential is there for him to emerge as a lethal option for Rodgers in the final third.
Rocco Vata's goalscoring quality
The 18-year-old star, who talent scout Jacek Kulig claimed has an "exciting" future ahead, has only played 11 minutes in one appearance in the Premiership this season.
His goalscoring exploits for the B team, however, suggest that there is a quality attacking midfielder to be unearthed for the Scottish giants.
Vata, who scored his first senior goal against Buckie Thistle in the SFA Cup earlier this year, has racked up 13 goals in 16 matches across the Lowland League and Challenge Cup this season.
The Irish youngster, who can play anywhere in the frontline, as an attacking midfielder, winger, or striker, has scored 14 goals in 24 games for the academy and first-team combined this term.
Meanwhile, Kyogo Furuhashi (15) is the only Celtic player with more than 11 goals for the senior side in all competitions during the 2023/24 campaign so far, which speaks to how impressive Vata's scoring rate has been.
Appearances
4
Minutes played
44
Key passes
3
Big chances created
2
Pass accuracy
89%
As you can see in the table above, Ange Postecoglou offered the youngster a chance to shine in the Premiership last season, and the teen starlet produced an eye-catching two 'big chances' created in just 44 minutes of action.
This suggests that Vata, who scored nine goals in 16 Lowland Leage appearances during the 2022/23 campaign, also has the quality to create high-quality chances for his teammates, whilst also being able to carry a big goalscoring threat of his own.
Therefore, Rodgers must finally unleash the Ireland U21 international, whether that is from the start or as a substitute on a regular basis, ahead of Kelly after his sensational performance during the international break, and due to his general form for the B team and first-team over the last 18 months.