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Fullname: [….]
aka: Joey Dawson
Born: 30 May 2003
Birthplace: Scunthorpe, England
Signed: 30 June 2021
Left: 10 June 2025 (to Scunthorpe)
Position: Forward, Midfielder
Debut: St Johnstone 1-3 Celtic, League, 26 Dec 2021
Squad No.: 44
Internationals: […]
International Caps: [TBC at end of career]
International Goals: [TBC at end of career]
Biog
Celtic snapped up Scunthorpe United striker Joey Dawson on a three-year deal in 2021. The 18-year-old frontman agreed terms with Celtic and would join the Hoops’ reserve team ahead of the Colts’ debut in the Lowland League for the 2021/22 season.
The young 18-year-old Joey Dawson had arrived at a dishevelled Celtic. The first team had messed up the last season, and a new manager in Ange Postecoglou was arriving to turn the ship around.
It was a big jump from his home club of Scunthorpe Utd to Celtic, and admittedly his signing wasn’t wetting the lips of the support at Celtic but the upheaval at the club was to give him a chance at a big club under new management.
In a tough environment, he was given his debut for the first team v St Johnstone (Dec 2021), admittedly as the squad was decimated from injuries & covid-restrictions. He came on for the injured Kyogo, had a fine game, held the ball up well and was very unlucky not to score at the death (the goalkeeper got a small touch that saved a near certain goal). It was a good start and to many, he looked more of a football player than certain of the expensive strikers Celtic had purchased or loaned in recent years (e.g. Ajeti).
However, little further progress from there on at Celtic. He was mostly forgotten by the general support, and as Celtic prospered under Postecoglou with the influx of players from the Far East, he was way out of consideration for a first team place. The same continued under Brendan Rodgers albeit he had made some headway as a goalscorer with the B Side, but then he was ruled out for long spells due to an ACL injury, first to his left knee and then to his right knee!
He simply lacked much luck it seemed. Celtic had some faith in him and had extended his contract to the summer of 2025, but the injuries had sealed his fate at Celtic.
It wasn’t a fulfilling era for many of the youth players for a variety of reasons, which led to a huge outflux of youngsters who just left the club, although Joey Dawson remained.
He returned home to Scunthorpe in June 2025, following their National League North play-off final win at the end of the 2024/25 season, and spoke positively on his time at Celtic despite the inability to become a regular first team player:
“I can only say good things about my time at Celtic. I feel like I’ve come back a better player, bigger and stronger so I’m just looking forward to hitting the ground running.”
We wished him the best.
Post-Celtic
[….]
Quotes
“It’s a very proud moment for me and my family. I have to just keep going, keep grounded and keep working hard to hopefully get some more appearances.”
Joey Dawson on his debut (26 Dec 2021)
Playing Career
| APPEARANCES (subs) |
LEAGUE | SCOTTISH CUP | LEAGUE CUP | EUROPE | TOTAL |
| 2021-22 | 1 | – | 1 | – | 2 |
| Goals | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 |
Honours with Celtic
(Honours are marked below in which the player has played in at least one of the matches in the campaign.)
Scottish League
Scottish League Cup
Pictures
Articles
Latest Celtic debutant Joey Dawson makes candid admission
Celtic’s latest debutant Joey Dawson has confessed he never considered the season would provide him with senior minutes on pitching up from Scunthorpe United in June.
By Andrew Smith
Monday, 27th December 2021, 10:30 pm
https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/celtic/latest-celtic-debutant-joey-dawson-makes-candid-admission-3508102
The 18-year-old striker moved way ahead of schedule when the club’s injury and covid issues led to him replacing the stricken Kyogo Furuhashi 15 minutes into the 3-1 win for Ange Postecoglou’s men away to St Johnstone on Boxing Day. But now that has happened, the forward has redrawn entirely his footballing parameters.
“When I signed my main aim was making myself the No 1 striker for the B team, playing well and scoring goals, and for then to see what happened. I wasn’t really expecting any chances with the first team, I was just focusing on the B team,” Dawson said. “Now it’s come I want more. I want to keep pushing and I want to keep fighting for my place, whether it’s in the B team or the first team. It felt unbelievable. To go from playing at East Kilbride on Wednesday to playing for the first team on Sunday was a big jump, but that just proves you’ve got to be ready in football and take your chance when you get it. It was a surprise, to be honest. Obviously it has been a tough few days for the lads with covid cases, injuries, etc. But, like I said, you’ve got to be ready. When the manager called me down [to go on] it was just pure excitement and elation.”
It made up for the pre-game isolation period forced on Dawson by his shock call-up. “I found out last Thursday that I might not get to go home for Christmas. Tommy [McIntyre, Celtic B manager] rang me and said: ‘The first team might need you’. It was a bittersweet moment, but obviously it was all worth it,” the teenager said. “I went into training on Christmas day, but I spent the rest of it by myself. But Sunday made it all worth it without a doubt. I would do it for the next 15, 20 Christmases if I had to, if it meant feelings like I had on Sunday. [If I hadn’t been in Perth] I would have been at home spending time with the family, but it is not a bad way to spend Boxing Day is it? Coming on and making my Celtic debut? You couldn’t ask for any more.”
Well, not quite. A deft chip late on looked like it would allow him to cap his debut with a goal, only for Callum Booth to produce a goalline clearance – “I am not going to lie to you, I was absolutely devastated when the lad’s played it off the line,” Dawson said – while pandemic restrictions meant no Celtic fans were in the ground to see him take his first senior steps in the club colours. “I said that before the game: ‘How good would it have been if there had been so many Celtic fans there?’ I have experienced it first hand. I have never seen fans like them. They are unbelievable. It would have been even better to play in front of them. But there was a little pocketful up there [with the club ofFicials] so it was good to get them in.”
Dawson announces another brutal long-term injury blow after recently signing new Celtic contract
Sat 20 July 2024 13:55
John McGinley
https://www.67hailhail.com/news/joey-dawson-announces-another-brutal-long-term-injury-blow-after-recently-signing-new-celtic-contract/Young striker Joey Dawson hasn’t had the best of luck at Celtic and his injury issues will continue despite recently recovering from a long-term ACL problem.
Dawson signed for the Bhoys from Scunthorpe back in 2021 and went on to make his senior debut under Ange Postecoglou during a 3-1 win over St Johnstone in December of that year.
He then progressed within the Celtic B set-up, showing lethal Lowland League form with 20 goals in 21 appearances during the 2022/23 campaign, garnering himself a bit of hype.
However, his development was cut short in March of last year after suffering an ACL rupture in his left knee. That served as a bitter blow to the prospect and kept him out for the rest of 2023.
Back in May, the hope of a bright new Celtic chapter surfaced after he penned a year’s extension to his contract until the summer of 2025. But the player is now facing another lengthy spell on the sidelines.
Joey Dawson confirms another long-term injury after surgery
The striker posted on Instagram this weekend: “Not really too sure where to start to be honest! After only recently getting myself fit from my left ACL I’ve now unfortunately ruptured my right one.
“Surgery today went well and now we can start to recover! I’d just like to say a big thank you to everyone who’s helped me through this tough period. You know who you are.”
It’s a real shame for the 21-year-old. Understandably teammates past and present have been rushing to the comments to wish him well.
Josip Juranovic left a classy comment urging a “speedy recovery”, as did Ben Doak and Daniel Kelly alongside a clutch of other youth players at the club.
Assuming there’s a similar rehabilitation time to his left knee, the issue with his right will keep him out well into 2025.
It’s hard to know where his career at Celtic will go from here but every fan will be hoping all the best for him and that he makes a healthy comeback.
Celtic Striker Completes Summer Exit
By
Aaron Haire –
June 9, 2025
Joey Dawson has officially left Celtic and returned to his boyhood club Scunthorpe United, bringing his spell in Glasgow to an end after four years.
The striker, who joined the Hoops from Scunthorpe in 2021, made a solitary senior appearance for Celtic – coming in a 3-1 win over St Johnstone on Boxing Day 2021 during a period of heavy squad rotation due to injuries and Covid.
Now 22, Dawson has rejoined Scunthorpe following their dramatic National League North play-off final win over Chester. The Iron secured promotion back to the National League after extra time at Glanford Park, and the return of their academy product is another boost ahead of the new campaign.
Speaking after sealing his move, Dawson told the club’s website: “I’m buzzing to be back, this is my home and it’s where I grew up so to finally be back is just an amazing feeling. I can only say good things about my time at Celtic. I feel like I’ve come back a better player, bigger and stronger so I’m just looking forward to hitting the ground running.”
While Dawson heads out, Celtic are closing in on another striking addition, this time with first-team potential. CeltsAreHere understands the club are finalising a deal for Fulham forward Callum Osmand, with the 19-year-old Welshman viewed as a serious addition to Brendan Rodgers’ squad.
London, UK. 16th May, 2024. Callum Osmand of Fulham celebrates with the trophy during the Premier League Cup match at Craven Cottage, London. Picture credit should read: David Klein/Sportimage Credit: Sportimage Ltd/Alamy Live News
Osmand has been tracked by the Hoops for over a year, with multiple scouting missions leading to a recent medical. Unlike Dawson, who featured primarily with the B team, Osmand is being brought in as a first-team option.