Former Scotland manager Alex McLeish has been left hugely impressed with Carl Starfelt's improvement in form for Celtic this season, hailing his work behind the scenes with Ange Postecoglou.

The Lowdown: Starfelt superb for Hoops

The Hoops are on the verge of sealing Scottish Premiership glory, with numerous players starring for Postecoglou's side throughout the campaign.

Starfelt has undoubtedly been one of them, starting 31 league matches and averaging a 90.8% pass completion rate and winning 4.4 aerial duels per game.

The Swede's current deal expires in the summer of 2025, and considering he is still only 26, he could prove to be a long-term player for Celtic after an initial shaky start.

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The Latest: McLeish hails defender

Speaking to Football Insider, McLeish heaped praise on Starfelt's brilliance and the work he has done with Postecoglou in training, having improved his all-round form hugely:

"The manager has seen the guy every day. I imagine they have been doing some individual stuff, some video stuff.

"The manager will have known what Starfelt is capable of before he joined Celtic. There was a few Celtic players at the start of the season who weren’t at the level.

"Carter-Vickers is one. Starfelt, after a very shaky start, he has blossomed. It’s a credit to the manager and the coaches but it also shows the player has the bottle to play for these teams."

The Verdict: Key man for years to come

Starfelt deserves all the accolades he receives this season, having been such an influential part of a defence that has conceded just 21 goals in 36 league outings in 2021/22.

He and Cameron Carter-Vickers has formed a wonderful understanding alongside one another and the hope is that they continue to provide the backbone of the team for many years.

Starfelt hasn't done his job yet, though, and it is vital that he carries on performing at his current level in the final two league games of the season, becoming a Scottish champion in his first year at Parkhead.

In other news, Celtic have been tipped to sign a player in one position this summer. Read more here.