Ange Postecoglou has hailed the leadership qualities of Nir Bitton.
The Celtic boss insists the stand-in skipper is amongst an experienced core who are key in helping gel his vibrant and new-look squad.
With Callum McGregor sidelined due to his serious facial injury, Bitton has stepped up again and into the breach.
The Israeli led Celtic to their midweek win over Hearts having also had the armband for December victories over
St Johnstone and Real Betis.
Bitton is almost part of the furniture at Parkhead. The Israeli is into his ninth season at the club after being signed in 2013 and has experienced virtually all emotions.
Bitton’s built strong bonds with Celtic stars past and present and his knowledge has proved invaluable to the new recruits.
As Postecoglou has brought younger players into the squad, the 30-year-old and other long-term members of the dressing room such as McGregor and James Forrest have taken responsibility to guide.
The boss has been delighted with Bitton’s contributions since his appointment and said: “He’s been great. As with all these things, people look at things differently if he has been here for a while.
“I came in with fresh eyes and a new perspective and I just look at how they are training and playing.
“Nir has been great since I got here. If you look historically, he hasn’t played that many games in the last three or four years in the league. He is going really well and playing in a position I think suits him and suits us.
“Nir has played a lot at centre-back, but I feel he is much better suited to the midfield. He has that experience and leadership because he has been at the club for so long. He has been fantastic for us.”
Postecoglou may not spend all of his time in the changing room at Lennoxtown with his players as he plots and plans from the manager’s office and training pitches.
But he is fully aware of Bitton’s ability to gather those around him and said: “I’m not that involved in the dressing room to see that, but I kind of know he is an important part of the leadership we have in there.
“He has taken Liel Abada under his wing and he has helped the young man to adapt here because they both have had similar experiences.
“But yes, he knows the environment here, the culture and the football and he looks as though he is enjoying his football, so that’s a positive.”
Postecoglou is thrilled to have those experienced heads in the camp as he builds up a fresh squad.
He knew as soon as he walked in the door that he wasn’t going to have time to just bed a squad in without pressure of results.
Nonetheless, his philosophy ensures he has an eye on the future as well as the present as he puts the blocks in place.
Nine of the 14 players who featured against Hearts were 26 or under. Others such as Daizen Maeda and David Turnbull are in the same bracket.
Youngsters have been handed a chance from the academy and the manager hopes he is laying foundations for success.
Postecoglou said: “That is really important to me. I get I’m judged on immediate success and I understood that but I have always loved building teams for the medium to long term. Getting a group of like-minded staff and players together.
“We are bringing in guys who I think have their best football ahead. Hopefully, they can grow together and achieve good things.
“This year is about bringing them to the club and forming a bond with the ones who are remaining. Understanding the club and building a team that is going to be successful for a number of years.
“To me that’s the most important thing but I also understood pretty clearly I couldn’t just have this year as a building process. We had to have some success this year and that is what we built towards.”
Celtic are four points off the title pace with a visit of leaders Rangers looming but focus will not divert away from today’s visit of Dundee United.
Postecoglou said: “We have been good at looking at what is directly ahead of us. They [United] came here earlier in the season, frustrated us and we dropped a couple of points which we don’t want to do.
“So we want to play well and make sure we perform. There’s no point looking too far ahead.”
