‘THE BEST IS YET TO COME FROM MOUSSA,’ ERIK

ERIK SVIATCHENKO predicts 20-year-old Celtic team-mate Moussa Dembele has a massive future in the game.

The Danish defenders has watched the Frenchman, bought for a bargain £500,000 from Fulham in the summer, notch 12 goals already in his debut campaign at the Hoops.

Sviatchenko said: “Moussa is a young guy, but is showing what it’s all about. That feeling that he can go through everyone, he showed that against Manchester City and it was nice to see.

“He could become a really good player, but he’s not complete yet – he still has things to improve.

“Moussa works hard and is always improving his finishes after training and you see it pays off.

“He’s dominant with his head and gets where he needs to be in the box. As a defender, his physicality and speed make him a nightmare.

“And he links up so well with his team-mates. That’s so important for a striker. He just needs time and he’ll get even better.”

Sviatchenko looked towards the next four Champions League games and said: “Our campaign started against Manchester City. I am trying to forget the seven goals we conceded against Barcelona and move on. It’s all about the points.

“We got a point last week and we are getting closer to what we need to do.

“We have a lot of games in this tournament and we’ll try to get the clean sheet we want. But the game wasn’t about that. It was about our performance and how we worked together.

“You saw them kicking the ball out of the pitch almost all the time. It’s a credit to our team that we created that stress on them. The draw sets us up to face Borussia Monchengladbach. We have the same mindset as we had against City so we’re looking forward to that.

“As a club, we belong here. We showed we can do something in the Champions League.

“City are better than us, but it’s about the collective – that needs to shine first and foremost.

“The atmosphere was special. When the Champions League song came on, the mascot I was with looked at me
and smiled. I smiled back because he was so happy.

“He emphasised the feeling the entire stadium showed. They carried us towards that point.

“These were the nights I had dreamed about. But the most important thing was the plan that Celtic had. I want to improve and the only way you can do that is to be matched at the highest level.

“I did okay against City. Earning a point against superstars like them is fine.

“It shows what we are all about. It’s about leaping the crossbar, as the gaffer says. It’s always about that step towards being a better player, being a better collective. Against City we showed it.

“We were ruthless in how we adapted to the game even though we knew it would be difficult. We kept going and showed we can stretch them and be dominant on home turf.

“We need to be relentless in the domestic league and show our skills in the Champions League.”