Tam Courts heaped the praise on the talented Dundee United youngsters as they thrived in the heat of Celtic Park cauldron.
United went toe-to-toe with Celtic for 89 minutes and seemed set to pick up their second point in Glasgow this term until Liel Abada’s late winner.
But while Courts believes his side merited a point, he’s still thrilled at the impact made by his youthful side.
United started with FOUR players under the age of 21 – including teenagers Lewis Neilson and Archie Meekison – as Courts shuffled his pack ahead of Tuesday’s derby.
Ross Graham also came off the bench for his debut and the young guns performed admirably until Abada’s late strike.
“We got a lot of plaudits at Ibrox when we had a 16-year-old playing and five or six academy graduates on the pitch,” said Courts.
“It was similar today. When you look at Neilson because of his size and composure you forget he’s only 18.
“Meekison is only 19, Ross Graham made his debut today and was excellent when he came on.
“These are all positives for us. They’re getting really good exposure by being at this club.
“We’ve unearthed more young players today who can add value.”
Tam Courts: Benjamin Siegrist is a top shot-stopper
Meanwhile, Courts also saluted the role played by keeper Benjamin Siegrist at Celtic.
Siegrist made a number of key saves – including a stunning stop with his right boot to deny Greek striker Giorgos Giakoumakis.
“The goalkeeper has to perform really well when you come to Celtic Park,” said Courts.
“Benji is a top shot-stopper and the save he made with his foot was probably the pick of the bunch.
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“One lapse in defence cost us. There were so many crosses coming into our box.
“Celtic threw everything at us, making big substitutions at half-time to try and win the game.
“I’m disappointed for our fans and the players as we merited a point.”
Skipper Ryan Edwards missed the game as his girlfriend is heavily pregnant.
