Scott Brown believes Callum Osmand showed more in 45 minutes against Hearts than Sebastian Tounekti has throughout his Celtic career.

The former Hoops captain delivered the blunt comparison while working for Sky Sports during Sunday’s 7-1 victory at Celtic Park.

Osmand scored twice on his first professional start, making an immediate impression on the left of Martin O’Neill’s attack.

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His performance followed an encouraging appearance from the bench against Benfica, giving the manager another reason to offer him more opportunities.

For Brown, the youngster’s willingness to attack the space behind Hearts’ defence provided something Celtic have been missing from Tounekti.

Speaking on Sky Sports, Brown said:

“I think Osmand did more in 45 minutes that Tounekti has done in his whole time at the club.

“He sees the space in behind and he’s a natural striker. The whole goal opens up and it’s a lovely finish.”

It is a harsh assessment of Tounekti, but Osmand certainly made the most of his chance.

He offered a direct threat from the left, looking to get beyond defenders and into positions where he could hurt Hearts.

His first goal came from exploiting space in behind, while his second demonstrated the value of getting into the box to finish an opportunity created by Camilo Duran.

That movement gave Celtic another route to goal and helped make their attack much more difficult to contain.

Osmand was withdrawn at half-time after feeling his hamstring, with O’Neill describing the decision as precautionary.

Provided he stays fit, his display has strengthened the competition for places and could be set for a second Celtic start on Thursday night when Celta Vigo come to town.