Mheuka definitely has something. But are Celtic willing to use it?

There is something satisfying about watching a young Celtic player step onto the international stage and immediately remind everybody why there was so much excitement around him in the first place.

Shim Mheuka has done exactly that.

The 18-year-old Celtic loanee scored for England Under-20s in their 2-1 victory over France in the U20 Elite League, and for me this is another small but important chapter in what could become a very interesting Celtic story.

Mheuka joined Celtic from Chelsea on a season-long loan on transfer deadline day, having also signed a new long-term contract with the London club until 2031. That tells us something immediately. Chelsea clearly believe there is significant potential there, and Celtic have been trusted with an important part of his development.

Against France, he needed only nine minutes to show why.

Goalkeeper Ollie Whatmuff sent a long ball forward and Mheuka controlled it on his chest before accelerating away. He carried the ball from around halfway, drove towards goal and calmly finished past the goalkeeper.

That is exactly the kind of goal I love seeing from a young striker because there is so much packed into it. The control, the pace, the confidence to keep going and, most importantly, the composure to finish.

This was not simply a tap-in. It was a young forward taking responsibility.

And Celtic supporters should be paying attention.

Mheuka was eventually substituted after 76 minutes as England held on for the 2-1 victory. It was another step forward internationally after his Under-20 debut against Italy, when he came off the bench for the final 19 minutes.

In a very short space of time, he has gone from making his debut to starting against France and scoring.

That is development. That is progress.

And now Celtic have to decide what they are going to do with it.

Mheuka has made five appearances for Celtic, all from the bench, and he is still waiting for his first competitive goal in green and white. He thought he had it against St Mirren when he found the net, celebrated and looked as though he had finally opened his account, only for VAR to intervene and the goal to be ruled out for offside.

I remember watching that and thinking that this boy was close.

I still think he is.

Every time Mheuka has appeared, I have seen flashes of something. He looks lively. He wants to run at defenders. He has energy and that raw attacking hunger which you simply cannot coach into every player.

But now I want more than flashes.

I want to see him start.

Celtic need to give him an opportunity to show what he can actually do over 60 or 70 minutes rather than continually asking him to enter games which have already developed their own rhythm.

And there may now be a natural opportunity to do exactly that.

Mheuka was not included in Celtic’s 25-man squad for the Europa League league phase. At first glance that might appear disappointing for the player, but it could actually create an opening domestically.

Celtic are going to have a demanding schedule. European matches followed quickly by league games will mean tired legs, injuries, suspensions and players who simply cannot start every match.

Mheuka will not carry the European workload.

That means Celtic can use him differently.

He can become the fresh attacking option in domestic football when others are running on empty, but that only works if Martin O’Neill and his coaching staff are prepared to give him meaningful minutes.

Do not simply give the boy ten minutes here and twelve minutes there and then decide he needs more experience.

Give him the experience.

Let him start a match. Let him make mistakes. Let him learn where his movement works and where it does not. Let him discover what senior Scottish football demands of him.

That is what development actually looks like.

I also keep coming back to that Chelsea contract.

Mheuka has committed his future to Chelsea until 2031. They clearly rate him, and if they are prepared to send him to Glasgow for an entire season, Celtic should be determined to make that loan worthwhile for both clubs and, most importantly, for the player.

I do not want Celtic to become a place where talented youngsters come simply to sit on the bench and watch established players every week.

I want Celtic to be a place where young footballers develop.

That requires meaningful football.

There is another reason this matters now. Celtic need attacking solutions.

The fixture list is relentless, players are returning from injury, international commitments create their own complications and the European schedule will stretch the squad further.

Mheuka could be one of those solutions.

I would much rather Celtic discover what they have in him now than reach January and suddenly realise that the boy capable of helping them had been sitting beside the pitch all along.

Let me put it in very simple English-teacher terms.

You cannot assess a student’s ability if you never give them the opportunity to answer the question.

The same applies to footballers.

We know Mheuka can perform at youth international level. We know Chelsea rate him highly enough to tie him to a long contract. We have already seen flashes of quality at Celtic.

Now I want the next test.

A Celtic start.

I am not pretending that one goal against France suddenly makes Shim Mheuka the finished article. Of course it does not.

He is 18. He is developing. He is learning Scottish football, learning Celtic’s demands and adapting to senior football.

That is precisely why I want to see more of him.

I do not need him to arrive at Celtic Park as the finished product.

I want to watch him become one.

Shim Mheuka is knocking on Celtic’s door now, and that England goal has made the knock considerably louder.

Celtic should answer it.

Give the boy a proper chance and let us see what happens when the green and white shirt is on his back from the first whistle.

There is clearly a spark there.

Now Celtic have to decide whether they are willing to give it oxygen.

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