Celtic boss Ronny Deila has called for Nadir Ciftci to produce more consistent performances for the club, but is confident the forward can be a success at Parkhead.
The 23-year-old has struggled to make an impact since joining the Hoops from Dundee United during the summer, and has only managed to find the back of the net four times in 20 appearances.
The former Turkey youth international managed to score two of those goals against St Johnstone earlier this month but followed up that performance with a poor display against Motherwell last weekend.
The forward now looks set to lose his place in the starting line-up once again, as fellow front man Leigh Griffiths has recovered from a calf injury, and Deila has called for Ciftci to perform more consistently in training if he wants to cement his place in the side.
He said: “We need to get some consistency in his performances. The biggest thing is confidence and that has to be built through good performances in training and then in matches.”
The Norwegian remains convinced that Ciftci can become a long-term success in Glasgow and he believes the forward is the perfect back-up for Griffiths.
He added: “When Nadir does that over time, that is when he will grow as a player.
“Leigh is an important player for us, of course. He is our top scorer. But we were without Leigh against St Johnstone away. Nadir was fantastic and nobody spoke about him.”
Celtic are currently one point clear of Aberdeen at the top of the Scottish Premiership standings and will be keen to consolidate that advantage when they take on Hearts at Tynecastle on Sunday.
The Bhoys are the 1.53 favourites to win the match, while Robbie Neilson’s side are available at 5.50 and the draw is on offer at 4.20.
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