Haissem Hassan gave Celtic the kind of attacking threat they badly needed in Sunday’s 7-1 win over Hearts. The winger was handed a start by Martin O’Neill after making an impact from the bench against Benfica in midweek, and he caused Hearts problems from the right throughout his time on the pitch.

It was exactly the kind of direct play Celtic lacked during the poor first half in Lisbon.

Our Celtic manager page covers his record and background.

But even on a day when Celtic scored seven and tore Hearts apart, the defensive side of Hassan’s game was still a clear talking point.

An early touchline moment stood out.

O’Neill pulled Hassan over to the touchline Celtic Park, appearing to talk him through when to press Stephen Kingsley and when to track back to support Colby Donovan against Josh McPake.

That was interesting because O’Neill does not often call players over for detailed instructions.

It showed the manager was already focused on Hassan’s positioning without the ball.

Speaking to Sky Sports after the match, O’Neill praised Hassan’s attacking quality but also pointed to the next part of his development.

He said: “He really did great for us.

“He’s unpredictable, he can go past players at will, he’s got talent.

“And when he adds the other part of his game, the defensive part of the game, which would be great, then he is really a proper player.”

Chris Sutton made a similar point on Sky Sports commentary.

He said: “Hassan has a box of tricks. He is so difficult to play against, he’s so positive and can go both ways.

“He doesn’t want to work back defensively and that’s the issue with him.”

That sums up where Hassan is at.

There is real talent there. He has pace, quick feet and the confidence to take players on. Celtic need that, especially in games where teams sit deep or when they need something different from wide areas.

But O’Neill will want more than flashes on the ball.

Sunday was still a strong step forward.

Hassan earned his start, played with confidence, and helped Celtic stretch Hearts in a way that made O’Neill’s attacking changes look justified.

The challenge now is turning that into a complete performance.

On the ball, Hassan looks like he can hurt teams. Off it, O’Neill and Sutton both see the same thing: there is still work to do.