It has been a tough, but extremely valuable pre-season experience for Mackenzie Carse this summer, as he gears up for the start of the new campaign.

The young midfielder has been a key figure in the Celtic FC B squad over the past two seasons, and his performances were recognised with a call-up to the first-team warm-weather training camp last week.

The Scotland under-19 internationalist has since returned to Lennoxtown, with the young Hoops set to get their competitive campaign underway on Saturday.

Speaking to Celtic TV, Carse expressed how valuable an opportunity it was to spend time working alongside the likes of Callum McGregor, as well as some more familiar faces from last season’s B Team squad.

He said: “Being out in Portugal with the first team for pre-season was good. Obviously it was hard work, doing double sessions every day in the heat.

“But I feel like it has helped all the boys that have come back, because we can come back in and set the standards.

“It’s going to be a younger group, and the older ones need to lead by example to try and have the exact same season, if not better than we had last year.

‘It was nice to have a few familiar faces up with the first team too. It kind of makes you settle in a little bit easier.’

“You’ve got your team-mates you have been playing with since you were young. So that obviously make it easier. The first-team boys are brilliant with you too.

“When you go up, they don’t make you feel out of place, and they will always talk to you. So it’s good.”

Over the past two seasons, it is rare to have seen a Celtic B matchday squad which doesn’t include Carse.

The midfielder played in the Celts first ever Lowland League outing against Bonnyrigg Rose in 2021, and is now preparing for his third campaign of competitive football.

The 19-year-old is looking forward to getting the new season underway, after ending last campaign on a high, being part of the team who lifted the Glasgow Cup at Ibrox in May.

Now being one of the more experienced figures in the squad, Carse is also aiming to use his experiences at first and B Team level to help the younger players in the squad.

“It will be good to get the season underway again,” he said. “I am excited, and so are all of the lads.

“I feel as if we came really close last season, but this year is going to be the time to take it all the way, and hopefully win it this time around.”

‘Playing over the last three years has been brilliant, to be fair.’

“In the first year, I played near enough every game and it was the same in the second season last year.

“So hopefully that can rub off on the younger boys and they can see the standards that you want to set throughout the whole season and we just need to keep on going.”

Mackenzie Carse: First team exposure in pre-season was a valuable experience