Kyle Ure needs risk, responsibility, and relevance – he’ll get all three at Thistle

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The Celtic Star

·23 Juli 2025

Kyle Ure needs risk, responsibility, and relevance – he’ll get all three at Thistle

Highly-rated B team midfielder Kyle Ure looks set for a loan move to the Scottish Championship, with Partick Thistle—now under the guidance of former Hoops defender Mark Wilson—keen to bring the 19-year-old in for the 2025/26 campaign.

Kyle Ure of Celtic celebrates at the final whistle during the UEFA Youth League 2024/25 match between Celtic FC and RB Leipzig at Lesser Hampden on November 05, 2024. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

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As reported by Daily Record Wilson is eager to land the Academy Player of the Year as he plots an ambitious push for promotion at Firhill.

And it’s easy to see why. Ure has been Celtic B’s version of the Celtic captain across the past 18 months, clocking 70 appearances, chipping in with six goals and two assists, and bossing the midfield under Stephen McManus in the Lowland League. That consistency, drive, and maturity earned him a well-deserved nod in the UEFA Youth League, with 13 appearances in Europe under his belt too.

The ultimate ambition for Ure, of course, is Celtic’s first team. But while Brendan Rodgers clearly rates the youngster—handing him minutes in pre-season and a place on the bench against Newcastle United—there’s a brutal truth at the heart of Ure’s situation. He plays in the same position as Callum McGregor. And unless there’s a significant injury crisis or rotation policy, breaking into the starting XI regularly remains a tall order this season.

So, a spell at a club like Partick Thistle, challenging at the top end of a hugely competitive Championship, with promotion aspirations and the weekly demands of winning football, is exactly what a young midfielder of Ure’s profile needs. It’s football with jeopardy. But It’s not just the minutes on the pitch that matter, it’s what those minutes mean. It’s about developing game intelligence, leadership, and resilience when points and pride are on the line.

There’s a template here. Just last week, Jude Bonnar—another promising youth product—secured a loan switch to Ayr United, and scored on his debut under Scott Brown.

That deal, quietly done, feels like more than just logistics—it feels like Shaun Maloney, in his new developmental role, is perhaps starting to have some influence. Celtic are hopefully building a more joined-up pathway, nurturing talent in-house, then testing them in Scottish football’s senior tiers.

Mark Wilson, appointed as head Coach of Partick Thistle. Image Partick Thistle FC

Whether it’s Thistle, another Championship contender, or even a lower-table Premiership side, Ure needs to play 30 plus games this season. He needs a manager who believes in him, a system that suits him, and a dressing room where he’s not just the young lad with potential, but a player who has to deliver every Saturday.

The talent is there. The mentality, judging by his on-field performances during pre-season, is certainly there. Now it’s about the right move. Ure now arguably needs risk, responsibility, and relevance. Partick Thistle might just be the club to give him all three.

Calum McGregor of Celtic is seen with the Adidas Trophy after Celtic defeat Newcastle United 4-0 during the pre-season friendly match between Celtic and Newcastle United at Celtic Park on July 19, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

And who knows? With a season of meaningful football under his belt, we might be looking at Ure not as Celtic’s next hopeful—but as Celtic’s next midfielder ready to push Callum McGregor every step of the way.

Niall J

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.