CELTIC academy star Fiacre Kelleher has no fear about facing Spanish giants Valencia tonight because his club has some of the best young players in the world.

It is a bold statement from the quietly spoken Irishman, a cultured defender who many believe has a real chance of making it, but he is absolutely sure that the group Under-19 coaches Tommy McIntyre and Chris McCart work with every day at Lennoxtown have few betters.

This evening is going to be interesting when the Celtic kids side face Valencia at Parkhead in the Uefa Youth League Cup, the winner gets through to the last 16, which would be some achievement from the academy players especially as two of the stars, Kiernan Tierney and Aiden Nesbitt, won’t be playing.

Kelleher, who hails from Cork, is ready for the Spaniards and has utter belief in his team-mates.

He said: “We can be a match for Valencia. I think we’ve got some of the best young players in the world. I definitely think that.

"We’ve got a lot of confidence, we’ve not been beaten in the league this season.

“We’ve had one or two bad results, but overall it’s been good, so that’s why we’re feeling confident.

“I really believe they are among the best in the world. We’ve played a lot of good teams and I think we’ve matched up to them quite well.”

So there you go. It’s been a while since any Celtic fans has heard such proud boasting about the players coming through the ranks. You really need to go back to the Quality Street days.

The supporters would certainly love to see more like Tierney getting a run in the team, not just a few games here and there.

Kelleher said: “I’ve played with Kieran and he’s an inspiration for us. Since the new manager’s come in, I think there’s more of a clear pathway to the first team.

“KT is one example, but there’s a few of us getting closer.

“I definitely feel I’m close to the first team. But then I think there’s quite a few of us believing the same.

"If you just go out and do well in the games then they always bring you into training with the first team. The path is there for us, it’s down to you.

“Every so often I train with the first team while I’ve been in a few of the squads. The next step for me is to be training full time with the first team.”

Kelleher’s mum Jackie will make the trip over the Irish Sea to watch her not so little boy, even for a centre-half the lad is tall, make his debut at Celtic Park.

The 19-year-old hopes it will be the first of many appearances at the stadium.

Kelleher said: “At the start of this season I set myself the goal of trying to play for the first team. Maybe now it’s going to be towards the end of the season if we get the league wrapped up.

“I’d like to get off the bench a few times, maybe even a start. That would be great.

“It’s a big deal for the family. My mum’s not seen me play at Celtic Park, so it will be something special for us all. It will be up there for me with the biggest games I’ve played in.

“Winning is the most important thing, that’s our main aim always. If you can win these types of games then brilliant, it does more for your learning and education than most other games.

“But, of course, Celtic have to go out and win every game. Hopefully, there will be a big crowd to see us.”

Kelleher’s defensive partner is likely to be Jamie McCart, son of Chris his coach. He not only looks like his dad but also talks like him.

There is a difference when it comes to his football – the younger man is naturally left footed.

Also 19, McCart knows there will always be some who wonder if there is more pressure on him to make it because his dad had a great career, winning a Scottish Cup with Motherwell, a club where he is viewed as a legend.

He said: “It is a massive help to have a dad who played at a decent level. He is always giving me tips, criticism when it’s due and praise when it’s due, so I am always learning from him.

"It is more a blessing than added pressure because I get to know more things and quicker."

But just because your dad is on the staff doesn’t mean life is going to be easier.

McCart revealed: “My contract is up at the end of this season so I need to wait and see what happens. It would be massive to make it at Celtic. I work hard every day and it’s all towards that goal of making at Celtic.

“I have to keep working hard and hope that opportunity arises.

“I have trained with the first team quite a few times over the course of the season. That’s been a great experience. You learn a lot from the older players and you also want to go in and stamp your authority and show that I can play in the first team.”

His contract runs out soon and McCart is hopeful to have done enough to prolong his stay at the club.

He said: "I feel I have done enough and it’s all about what my dad and the other coaches think. All I can do is work hard every day to improve.

“And this game is brilliant to be involved in. We have big domestic games but this is a real big deal - playing in Europe against the top academies - so it will be exciting to play in.”