Dane Murray has been handed another opportunity to establish himself at Celtic, and Martin O’Neill has made it clear how highly he rates the young defender.

The Celtic academy graduate kept his place for Sunday’s 2-1 win over Hibs, having also featured against Benfica, Hearts and Celta Vigo.

Martin O’Neill reveals what he told Dane Murray about his Celtic future

Speaking after Celtic’s victory over Hibs, O’Neill praised Murray’s ability before revealing the advice he had given him.

O’Neill said: “Yeah, I mean, he’s had a lot of injuries. The last two years he’s missed a lot of football really. And I’ve got a lot of time for him. I think he’s got a lot of potential.

“I did say to him that potential will remain potential if you just stay at a certain level. You’ve got to elevate yourself all the time, you know.

“And so he will make a career in the game. How high he goes in the game will depend solely on him.”

O’Neill has shown plenty of faith in Murray recently, particularly after the defender conceded a penalty during Celtic’s 4-1 defeat to Benfica.

Rather than drop him, the Celtic manager kept Murray in his starting eleven for the 7-1 victory over Hearts and has continued to give him valuable first-team experience.

Murray was even moved to right-back against Hibs when Alistair Johnston’s injury forced a defensive reshuffle, allowing Cameron Carter-Vickers to make his return.

Jim Duffy has already identified where Dane Murray needs to improve

Jim Duffy recently highlighted Murray’s positioning and concentration as two areas that require attention. Duffy praised his strength, pace and ability on the ball but believes his reading of the game needs work.

It’s a fair assessment. Celtic’s defenders regularly find themselves dealing with counterattacks after spending long spells watching their teammates dominate possession.

Murray has the physical attributes to handle those situations, but his positioning and decision-making will be tested against better opposition. His recent appearances have at least given O’Neill a chance to assess him properly after injuries disrupted so much of his development.

With Carter-Vickers returning to fitness, competition for places will become tougher. Murray has responded well to being trusted after his mistake against Benfica, but keeping his place when Celtic’s senior defenders are available will be a bigger test of his progress.