Celtic training sessions with Damien Duff, captaining Welsh and Henderson and trying to make it at Parkhead - Kerr McInroy Big Interview

The 21-year-old midfielder is now determined to grab some of the limelight for himself - but that doesn't mean he's not proud of them.

Nobody is more delighted than McInroy that central defender Welsh has gone on to carve a career as a first-team regular at Celtic. And he cheered like mad when Henderson - before departing on a loan-to-buy move to Hibs - notched the winner against Real Betis in the 3-2 Europa League group stage win at Parkhead back in December.

McInroy was the captain of the Celtic youth side - which Welsh and Henderson were part of - that won the trophy in 2019.

"My age group was Stephen Welsh, Ewan Henderson, Jack Aitchison and Robbie Deas," said McInroy. "I was the captain of that group and I won a couple of Glasgow Cups and then became reserve captain. I had been the skipper of the reserves for a full season.

Stephen and Henderson have done terrifically well. Welshy has played a lot of games for the first team in the past couple of years and I am happy for him.

"We all went through the same process at Celtic and you are naturally delighted when one of your team-mates makes the breakthrough.

"Hendo is at Hibs now and he got his chance to make it in the Celtic first team. It's just great to see them both do so well in their careers.

"I watched Hendo score that winning goal in that Europa League game against and it kind of came out of nowhere as well. I was watching the game in the house and I was absolutely buzzing for him when that goal went in.

"That is what everybody wants when you are coming through the youth system. That is what every player is working towards. There are boys my age now playing regular first-team football and it is only natural that I now want to experience the same."

McInroy, centre, lifts the Glasgow Cup flanked by Stephen Welsh and Ewan Henderson

McInroy, while a product of the Celtic academy at St Ninian's and a standout through the ranks, has yet to make his full Hoops debut. Part of the reason for that is the major setback he suffered on the road to the first-team.

Towards the end of the season in May 2019 he did his cruciate ligament. It was the first time in his career that he had suffered any kind of injury. The rehabilitation and recovery process hit him hard.

"When I did my cruciate ligament it wasn't great," he said. "It was really difficult trying to get your head around the fact that you were not going to play football for a while.

" I had never experienced any injuries before in my career growing up so to get hit with this kind of injury and to be out for months was all new to me and it was a shock to the system. It was very tough."

He says that it was the care of the medics and the staff at Celtic that kept his spirits up during some dark days.

"The people at Celtic were great," McInroy said. "The physios looked after me - Dave Crichton and Dave McFadden - they kept on top of me so much and made me work so hard to get back.

"I got back and I was fit in February 2020 - then Covid hit and football was cancelled for a while."

McInroy has been playing in the Championship with Ayr United since joining on loan in January. The midfielder has made 13 appearances for Lee Bullen's Honest Men, scoring six goals. 

He has featured for the Celtic senior side before - in pre-season matches during the Brendan Rodgers era - while he also played the first half of Ange Postegoclou's first-ever pre-season friendly against Sheffield Wednesday back in July.

READ MORE: The making of Kieran Tierney: Arsenal star's meteoric Celtic rise from fourth choice youth to £25m transfer

It's fair to say that McInroy's grounding and football education with the Hoops has been first class.

He credits Celtic youth boss John McLaughlin as being his biggest coaching mentor and influence at the club while he also enjoyed stints with Tommy McIntyre and coaching from the likes of Shaun Maloney and Damien Duff.

He said: "John McLaughlin was great - we had him for around five years until the under-17s. I loved John. Normally they change coaches but John stayed with our group. He knew how to get the best out of us. The majority of us were cheeky young boys but John knew how to handle us.

"As I got older I was with Tommy McIntyre for a bit and we have also been coached by the likes of Shaun Maloney and Damien Duff. They both helped me a lot when I was older and was training with the reserves. They were great. Maloney is a brilliant coach. He was only at Celtic for a short period of time but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

"Duff was a great guy when he was at Celtic. He played at the top level with the likes of Chelsea and Ireland and you respected that even more. He was really passionate about his football and he commanded respect - when he spoke, you tended to listen."

For McInroy, just playing in the youth system has been a transformative experience.

"I could not have asked for a better upbringing or education football-wise," he said. "I went through the school programme at St Ninian's which I started when I was 13 or 14 and I was there for a few years before going full-time with the club. I've been at Celtic for a long time.

"When you are younger there is a lot of coaching and training. It helps you massively as you get older. You don't realise it at the time. The main thing they stress to you when you are younger and you are in the Celtic youth system is that you have to enjoy it.

"It was definitely enjoyable. All the boys go to school together and trained together and it was always a good laugh.

"It is a great education being in the youth system - though it is quite tough for the boys once they get to 17 and 18 as it is difficult to break into the first team. Up until then, you cannot ask for anything better.

"You get to go on great trips abroad and play against the best teams in places like Qatar and Belgium. You get to see different parts of the world that you may never have experienced if you were not playing football which is good. It just gets very difficult to break into the first team when you get older."

Despite not giving up on his dream of one day playing for the Celtic first team, McInroy is a realist if nothing else. He has enjoyed successful loan spells at his hometown club Dunfermline Athletic as well as Airdrieonians and now Ayr.

He has been capped by Scotland at under-17, under-19 and under-21 levels and, while Celtic have the option of extending his contract for another year, he has yet to discuss his future with the club.

However, McInroy insists he is fully prepared for a football life without Celtic if that comes to pass and remains determined to make his name in the game elsewhere should that eventuality arise.

McInroy said: "I kind of think my time at Celtic is probably up. You get a wee window of opportunity when your age group is going to break into the first team and I have probably passed that. I will maybe be in a position where I will be moving on.

"Celtic have an option of another year in my contract but the club haven't spoken to me about that yet. I have been out on a couple of loan spells - they are good, it helps young players gain first-team experience.

"It is just brilliant to go out and play games. It gives you a taste of what football is really like. I know what is best for me and that is to be out there playing somewhere and playing consistently every week for the next two or three years. I want to be a signed first-team player and not a loan player."

Whatever the future holds for McInroy, he's certainly going to relish it armed with the best footballing education in the country as he attempts to cement regular top-level first-team game-time and follow in the footsteps of both Welsh and Henderson.

He said: "I have learned a lot and I have got a lot to thank Celtic for over the years. When you are a 12-year-old kid you just run about the pitch. Slowly over the years you learn about shape and systems and you become tactically more aware.

"Celtic also offered the best with regards to sports science and training facilities and that helped build me up physically too. It has been a great education through the academy and football. It has made me a better player.

"I want to play as much football as I can over the next few years and be as successful as I can and see where my career takes me. It is something to be excited about - I am looking forward to seeing what the future holds."