Callum Osmand is one of the most exciting things happening at Celtic just now, and no, for once I am not talking about another boardroom revelation, a transfer rumour or somebody at Parkhead suddenly discovering that European football exists.

I am talking about a young striker with bags of potential who is learning how to adapt his game to playing from the left.

And if you ask me, he could be onto something rather special.

We have already seen what Osmand can do when he is given the opportunity to express himself. His two goals against Hearts were a wonderful demonstration of his attacking instincts, composure and ability to make things happen in the final third.

Two goals against Hearts in a performance which helped Celtic produce such a magnificent result are hardly a bad way to reitroduce yourself, are they?

I watched that performance with the sort of satisfaction which makes a Celtic supporter temporarily forget all the reasons we have to criticise the people running our club. Here was a young player showing us a glimpse of what he might become, and I could not help thinking that Celtic may have a very exciting prospect on their hands.

Of course, I am not going to proclaim him the next superstar after one performance. I believe in evidence before conclusions, and as a Celtic supporter, I have learned that getting carried away can be a dangerous business.

Nevertheless, the talent is there, the potential is obvious and now Osmand has an opportunity to add another dimension to his game.

And who better to learn from than Daizen Maeda?

Osmand is a striker by trade, but he is now learning how to play from the left. That is not necessarily an easy transition.

Playing through the middle requires different movement, positioning and decision-making from operating out wide. A player starting from the left has to understand when to stretch the opposition, when to attack the space behind the defence, when to come inside and when to provide width.

There is plenty to learn, but I would much rather see a young player willing to expand his footballing education than one who believes he has nothing left to learn.

The particularly encouraging thing is that Osmand is taking advice from Maeda, a player who knows exactly what this transformation involves.

Maeda has experience of playing through the middle before being deployed from the left at Celtic, and look what happened.

He developed into one of the most influential players in the team, combining relentless work rate with intelligent movement, pace, pressing and an extraordinary ability to trouble opposition defenders.

Daizen did not become the player we know simply by standing on the touchline waiting for the ball to arrive at his feet.

He learned the demands of the role. He adapted his movement. He found different ways to hurt teams. And if Osmand can absorb even a fraction of that knowledge, he will be in a very good position indeed.

Let us be honest, if you are a young Celtic attacker trying to learn how to play from the left, you could do considerably worse than listening to a man who has already demonstrated exactly how effective the transition can be.

There is no need to reinvent the wheel when somebody at the club has already shown you how it works.

For once, we can actually praise Celtic for having the right experience available to help a promising youngster develop.

I know, I know. Somebody should probably write this moment down.

The thing which excites me most is that Osmand already possesses the instincts of a striker.

We have seen him find the net against Hearts, and we have seen enough to understand why there is genuine excitement around his development.

If he can learn to operate effectively from the left while retaining that natural eye for goal, Celtic could have another serious attacking weapon on their hands.

Think about the possibilities.

A player who understands how to finish moves, who is comfortable attacking dangerous spaces and who can learn to make intelligent runs from a wide starting position gives defenders a very different problem.

Rather than simply hugging the touchline, Osmand can make diagonal runs into the penalty area. He can attack the far post. He can exploit the gaps between defenders and arrive in scoring positions when the opposition least expects him.

Those striker’s instincts do not disappear simply because he starts the move ten or fifteen yards wider.

In fact, used properly, they might become even more dangerous.

Of course, there is a difference between possessing potential and delivering consistently.

Osmand still has plenty to learn. He will make mistakes. He will have difficult games. There will be afternoons when nothing works.

That is football. More importantly, that is development.

What matters is that Celtic give him the opportunity to learn, the guidance to improve and enough playing time to turn promise into something tangible.

And please, let us not make the mistake of expecting every young player to become the finished article immediately.

We already have enough people in football who seem to believe that a youngster is either the next superstar or a complete failure, with absolutely nothing in between.

Patience has become an endangered species, but I would much rather see Celtic nurture Osmand properly than rush him, mismanage his development and then wonder why another promising player has failed to fulfil his potential.

I am genuinely excited about this kid.

Not because I believe one great performance settles every question, but because the raw ingredients are obvious.

He has the instincts of a striker. He has already shown that he can score goals. And he is now learning another position from one of the best examples available to him at the club.

That is a very promising combination.

If Osmand develops the confidence and understanding required to play effectively from the left while retaining his natural attacking instincts, Celtic could benefit enormously.

A young forward capable of contributing from wide areas as well as through the middle gives the manager flexibility and gives the team another player capable of making things happen.

Will he produce miracles every week? Probably not.

Even Daizen Maeda cannot perform miracles every single time he steps onto the pitch, although I suspect some opposition defenders might disagree. But could Callum Osmand become a wonderful Celtic player?

Absolutely. I want to see him learn, improve, take risks and continue showing us what he can do. I want to see him given opportunities alongside experienced players who understand the demands of wearing those green and white hoops.

Most of all, I want Celtic to recognise what they have in front of them.

Osmand’s journey is only beginning.

He has a great deal to learn, but he is learning from the right people, and that makes me even more optimistic about what lies ahead.

We have already had a glimpse of his potential against Hearts.

Now imagine what might happen when he becomes genuinely comfortable starting from the left. If he can combine the instincts of a natural striker with the movement and understanding of a proper wide attacker, Celtic might just have another very exciting player emerging.

And after everything Celtic supporters have had to put up with lately, watching a talented youngster develop into something special would be a very welcome reason to smile.

Let the boy learn. Let the boy play. And let us give Callum Osmand the chance to show us just how good he can become.

The future could be very green and white indeed.

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