Scott Robertson made huge strides forward in his Celtic career last year and was continuing his exciting progress in pre-season, so making the decision to go out on loan to Gillingham would not have been an easy one for the teenager.

However, Robertson recognises the value of playing regular first-team football for his development and sees it as his path to success at Celtic.

Robertson has progressed through the youth ranks at Celtic over the years, and his mature and composed performances in the centre of midfield did not go unnoticed by Neil Lennon. The Celtic manager brought Robertson on the first-team’s pre-season camp ahead of the 2019/20 season, shortly before his 18th birthday.

In December that season, Robertson made his debut in the Hoops first-team with a place in the starting XI for Celtic’s away tie against Cluj in the group stages of the Europa League. It was an excellent display from the youngster who showed he was fully deserving of the opportunity and more than capable of playing at that level.

Robertson impressed in Celtic's pre-season games earlier this year and looked set for more competitive games in the Hoops. However, at 19-years-old, Robertson felt his best chance of fulfilling his potential and making it at Celtic was to be playing regularly. Keen to see the young talent flourish, Neil Lennon agreed to allow Robertson to go out on loan to English League One side Gillingham for a season-long loan spell.

It’s only been a couple of months since Robertson made the move down south, but the 19-year-old is in no doubt he has made the right decision and is excited with the progress he has been making.

“I felt like I needed to be playing week-in-week-out and I’m really happy I’m getting that here,” said Robertson in an exclusive interview with this week's Celtic View.

'I think most players would agree that, if you can get first-team football as early as possible and be playing fairly consistently it’s the best thing for your development.'

“It’s been demanding physically because we’ve had games on Tuesdays and Saturdays every week. Until now, I’ve not had men’s football week-in-week-out but I’ve really enjoyed it. You need to prepare fully for every game and it’s really important to get the recovery right too so you can go again a few days later.

“I’ve got that so I’m feeling match fitter. The league down here is really fast and when you move the ball you need to be quick because there’ll be someone pressuring you. That will stand me in good stead when I return to Celtic, I’ll be able to move the ball sharper when we come up against teams trying to press us.”

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Scott Robertson reaping the benefits of loan spell at Gillingham