CELTIC Under-19 manager Tommy McIntrye insisted there remains a clear pathway to the first-team at the club for the best young players.

The Parkhead policy has always been - or at least should be - about giving the brightest talent a chance, such as Kiernan Tierney, but from the outside looking in it would appear that journey from academy to senior squad is more difficult than ever.

When Ronny Deila signs the likes of Scott Allan, who has hardly had a start, Carlton Cole who doesn't seem fit, along with Tyler Blackett and Saidy Janko who are not good enough, what encouragement does that give to any of the young players at Lennoxtown?

These teenagers face Valencia tomorrow night at Celtic Park in the Uefa Youth League for a place in the last 16 of the tournament.

A win would be really say something about the group McIntyre works with and he hopes one day at least some of his charges will be in the main squad.

He said: "My job is to take these boys to the next level and it makes it easier that there is a pathway to our first team.

“We regularly have five or six of them training with the first team and, if they shine, then the manager will trust them.

“We’re fortunate, as a club to have these showcases and it’s great that the match is at Parkhead because our supporters can come along and see the next generation – Jack Aitchison is still under 16.

“It’s all about taking their chance and not being frightened because one day, hopefully, they’ll be out there playing in front of 60,000."

Reserve team football, to use an old phrase, is all very well; however, this Celtic team have had the opportunity to play against some of Europe's best this season.

And that is miles better than winning 10-0 against local opponents.

McIntyre said: "We’ve played Chelsea and they have Charly Musonda, who’s valued at £13m! We also played Benfica, who were fantastic and Liverpool was another great experience. You can’t buy that.

“As a group, you can learn more from defeats in these games than by beating someone else’s youth team 12-0 but we’ll be going out to win.

“If we lose it isn’t the end of the world, but I want everything to be positive. We believe in our players.

“This may be the biggest game some of our youngsters have played in.”

Valencia are in the news right now because Gary Neville is making a mess of the senior team.

But for all those problems, you would expect their young team to be pretty decent.

McIntyre said: "They are a very good side, as you would expect.

"We’ve watched the DVDs of their qualifying group games against Lyon, Genk and Zenit St Petersburg and they are big lads but they can also play, which is why they have reached this stage.

“For us, it’s not about results but about giving our boys the experience of playing at a higher level and coming up against styles that they don’t do domestically."

Celtic take on Valencia in the Uefa Youth League at Parkhead tomorrow night (kick-off 5pm).

Tickets for this vital European match are now on sale, priced £5 for adults, and £2 concessions (65+/under-16s). Main Stand only.