Dane Murray looks like a player, $weet Dreams are made of thi$

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The Celtic Star

·25 Juli 2025

Dane Murray looks like a player, $weet Dreams are made of thi$

Dane Murray looking the part…

Mg Como 24/07/2025 – amichevole / Ajax-Celtic / foto Matteo Gribaudi/Image nella foto: Dane Murray , Celtic. Photo IMAGO

A few years back young Dane Murray sprang to prominence under Ange Postecoglou as he took part in pre-season, even managing a couple of European games, but after that he seemed to disappear into obscurity and was thought of as just another youngster who failed to make the grade amid ongoing injury concerns.

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Fast forward four years and the now bulked up 22 year old is part of the first team fold yet again looking every inch the accomplished centre back.

Yes it’s only pre-season and we are short on numbers, but Brendan seems to have taken a shine to the youngster who was thrown into Champions League action against Aston Villa back in January. When make Nawrocki got a start against theRangers at Celtic Park, Rodgers revealed that his initial intention was to play Dane Murray instead – but he’d picked up a thigh knock that ended his season.

Dane Murray was one of a few positives to take out of last night’s heavy defeat to Ajax in Como, with his first half performance impressing the supporters in the stadium and watching on Celtic TV. Indeed in the first half Celtic were the better side and the defence more assured with Murray on the park. Had Celtic taken our chances we could have gone in 3-1 up and we were thereafter made to suffer for our own failing in front of goal. Did anyone say we need to replace Kyogo, or has that been entirely overlooked.

$weet Dreams are made of thi$…

Michael Nicholson, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Celtic, looks on prior to the UEFA Champions League match between Celtic FC and Club Brugge KV at Celtic Park on November 27, 2024 . (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

The night after the window closes, Michael Nicholson is woken suddenly by a thought that he knew there was something he had to do but it slipped his mind. Sign a striker. Maybe we can do it in January, no-one will notice anyway.

Dane Murray of Celtic Ajax v Celtic, Como Cup Pre Season Football, Football, Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia, Como, Italy – 24 Jul 2025Como Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia Italy Photo Shutterstock (IMAGO)

Dane Murray is now becoming a contender for a regular start

Back to young Dane Murray – he has all the attributes to be a great defender, he’s big strong and looks very comfortable on the ball. It’s no coincidence that we fell apart after he and Kieran Tierney were rested at the interval. Yes, it’s early days, but Dane looks the part and if he keeps continuing to improve then he will feature in Brendan’s first team plans on a more regular basis this season.

Just an Ordinary Bhoy

Read this – The backstory to Celtic in the Eighties by David Potter

Thank you to everyone who has already pre-ordered the late David Potter’s last ever Celtic book, Celtic in the Eighties, which will be published on the fifth day of September by Celtic Star Books. The link to pre-order your copy is below…

Celtic in the Eighties by David Potter, out 5 September 2025. Available to pre-order now.