Seb Tounekti admits that he’s only now getting going in a Celtic jersey.
The winger turned Saturday’s Scottish Cup tie against Dundee on its head with his appearance from the bench, setting up Junior Adamu’s equaliser then netting the winner in extra-time.
Having started the season brightly, only to experience a dip in form, it was a welcome reminder for Celtic fans of the 23-year-old’s potential.
Now Tounekti claims he’s ready to deliver on a more consistent basis, saying: ‘Of course I’m happy I could help the team. I want to help every game with the goals and assists.
‘To me, it’s only the start. I feel like I could improve a lot and I have the ability to do that. I just have to get confident and to work hard in training. I’m sure that I will improve every game.;
Expanding on why he feels his best football is yet to come,, the former Hammarby man added: ’I think people forget that I’m coming from, not a small team, but I am coming to a really big team where expectation is really high.
Tounekti, above centre, is congratulated by Celtic team-mates after extra-time winner
Tounekti also set up the vital equaliser for Junior Adama against Dundee at Parkhead
Tunisian international Tounekti savours the acclaim of fans after his crucial goal on Saturday
‘Also, I would say I’m a young player who’s still learning and I just feel like I have the right people around me now.
‘I’m learning every day. I hope I will take more steps because I feel like I could help the team a lot.
‘When you play for a team like Celtic, you have to win and play well every game. I’m still learning.
‘I have the ability to help the team and to play here. I just have to try to show it more often. I’m just happy to be here.’
Tounekti began the season under Brendan Rodgers, then Wilfried Nancy, and is now featuring under Martin O’Neill for the second time.
He reckons O’Neill’s liking for wingers to simply take on their direct opponent can be the making of him.
‘I feel like I have a lot of freedom when I have the ball,’ he explained. ‘The manager wants me to attack, to go against players.
‘I love that. I feel like the manager believes in me, so I just want to keep going and help the team.
‘They (coaches) helped me a lot, especially in the training. We work a lot on the training ground to score goals and to make assists, to be in the right areas every time.
‘Also, we look at a lot of videos, so they helped me a lot. I’m just really pleased to be around people like that.’
Tounekti credits Martin O’Neill, above, for allowing him to play with more freedom as a winger
Tounekti is looking forward to playing alongside Celtic’s new signing Alex Oxlade Chamberlain, who was paraded at Parkhead on Saturday
Tounekti whoops it up with his team-mates after putting Celtic into the quarter finals
Celtic signed five players on loan in the January transfer window, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain subsequently arriving on an initial deal until the end of the season.
Tounekti is convinced that the vastly experienced 32-year-old former Liverpool and Arsenal man can be a pivotal figure as Celtic hunt down a league and cup double.
‘Yes, he’s a big name,’ he said. ‘He’s won a lot, the Champions League and the league. He has been playing at the highest level, so he will be really important for us.
‘I’m really pleased to have him here. He will help us a lot on and off the pitch. So, it’s brilliant to have him here.
‘Of course, we will fight until the end. I feel like we are a young team and we’re learning and developing.
‘We want to win every game, of course. We have a match almost every day, so we have to just keep going because every match is important when you have the logo of this team on it.’
