Lajee Celtic’s Youth squad is a vital part of the Club’s football pathway and is divided into two age categories.

The Youth squad strikes a balance between maintaining the joyful beauty and release of football and preparing the future stars of Lajee Celtic and Palestine for transition to senior football. At this stage, we introduce our young players to football intelligence, strength & conditioning and healthy lifestyle choices to support their development to the next level of football.

Progression through the ranks of Lajee Celtic is made easier by the identity, purpose and culture which exists throughout the club. From Academy level to the Senior team, the same values exist and are role modeled by figures present across all levels. 

This is overseen by our Coordinator, Samir Al Ameer, and Head Coach, Rami Msalmeh, with the help of our most experienced senior players who take up coaching roles with the academy and youth teams.  Having this consistency and familiarity throughout the football structure makes the transition between levels smoother for our young players.

Nurturing and developing local talent is a fundamental objective for Lajee Celtic and this is evidenced by the number of young players who have progressed from our Youth squad to Senior squad. The selection of Ahmad Awawi for the Palestine National Team (Under 18) is testament to the hard work, commitment and talent of not just Ahmad but his team mates and coaching team who have helped him reach this level.

However, for every Ahmad there is a Wajeeh. 

At 15 years old Wajeeh Abu Aker was arrested by the colonial occupation forces, taken by his bed during the night, blindfolded, tortured, imprisoned and has been held for over two years without charge, with no legal recourse and no communication with his family. This is the reality of life under colonial occupation and our Youth players are particularly vulnerable to being targeted.

If you would like to invite our Youth team to participate in an international event, please contact info@lajeeceltic.com.