PAUL LAMBERT is backing Celtic reject Tony Watt to be a sure-fire hit at Blackburn Rovers.
The striker was the first out of the Parkhead exit when Ronny Deila took over from Neil Lennon in the summer of 2014.
But Watt, who is on loan from Charlton, got off to a flier with Lambert’s outfit when he scored one and set up one in Saturday’s 3-0 FA Cup win at Oxford United.
The former Hoops skipper believes Watt, who hit the headlines when he scored Celtic’s winner in their 2-1 Champions League victory over Barcelona in 2012, needs to apply himself more to fulfill the potential he displayed when he burst on to the scene as a teenager.
Lambert said: “Tony has got an incredible talent and if marries that talent with hard work, then he’s got a fantastic career in front of him.
“We have to get that into his game and you saw glimpses of what he can do on Saturday. It was clear he became a big hero with the fans – and that’s not bad for a debut and an hour or so.
“He’s been through a lot in his career already. At 18, the goal against Barcelona put him into stardom and maybe he lost his way a little bit.
“But’s he an incredible talent, a really fantastic footballer and we have to get what we have seen out there more often.
“We’ll make sure we look after him and nurture him. He’s only 22 years of age; he’s only a kid.”
