Tyler Blackett has left Manchester United on a temporary basis, joining Scottish Champions Celtic on a season-long loan.
This will be his third loan spell away from the club, after previously spending time at Blackpool and Birmingham City, and will link up with former Red Saidy Janko, after the Swiss right-back left United on a permanent deal this summer.
The 21-year-old has seen his stock rise tremendously over the past year, ever since Louis van Gaal’s arrival as manager of the club.
He impressed on United’s tour of the U.S. last summer, before making his first team debut on the opening day, in a 2-1 home defeat to Swansea City, on August 16.
This was one of 12 appearances for the centre-halve last season out of 44 games, a respectable amount given his competition for places, alongside fellow defenders Chris Smalling, Phil Jones, Marcos Rojo, Jonny Evans and Paddy McNair.
However, it is due to this competition, with Daley Blind also being preferred to fill in at the back so far this season that the decision was made to ship Blackett out on loan to the Bhoys.
Competition for Blackett’s signature was fierce, including interest from the Premier League, but United opted to send the local lad to Ronny Deila’s side, as they will be competing in the Europa League once more, after missing out on the Champions League, losing to Malmo in the play-off round.
This will provide Blackett with some valuable experience in European football, where Celtic face a tough group, which includes Norwegian side Molde, a side formerly managed by United hero Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Turkish club Fenerbahce, whom Nani and Robin van Persie joined in the summer, and Dutch giants Ajax, a club very close to Van Gaal.
Many United players have labelled Blackett the strongest at the club, with his pace and versatility key attributes that he possesses.
He can fill in at left-back if needed, is good in the air, and likes to bring the ball out from the back and keep it on the deck with his passing abilities.
Strong in the tackle too, Celtic are getting a fine prospect, who has a big future in the game should he maintain his current progress.
A long-term contract extension was signed by Blackett back in February, another factor showcasing how highly he is rated at the club, and he will hope to impress up North, before returning to United next summer.