Journalist Pete O’Rourke has heaped praise on 20-year-old Celtic starlet Liel Abada, as per GiveMeSport.

The Lowdown: Great start to the season

The Israel international has enjoyed a fantastic start in the Premiership this season, having bagged six goals in the Hoops' opening six league fixtures, although he was withdrawn 57 minutes into today's 2-0 defeat at St Mirren, having failed to land a shot on target.

The winger, who arrived from Maccabi Petah Tikva in 2021 for €4m (£3.5m), has also played twice in the Champions League this autumn, including 45 minutes in the Hoops’ unlucky 3-0 defeat to Real Madrid.

The Latest: O’Rourke’s comments

O’Rourke believes that continued regular game-time and exposure to Europe's elite club competition will allow Abada to keep flourishing at Parkhead.

Speaking with GiveMeSport, the journalist claimed: “I think Liel Abada could become a real top player in the future if he continues his rapid rise.

“And Celtic fans will be hoping that will continue at Celtic Park as well because he’s only going to get better and better, I think, in my opinion, especially if he’s playing at the highest level in the Champions League; it’ll only improve his game.”

The Verdict: Huge talent

After heavily contributing to Celtic’s electric start to the new campaign, Abada has averaged an incredible 7.53 Sofascore rating, seeing him rank as the Hoops’ third-best player so far this season.

He has averaged 1.9 shots and 0.9 key passes per game in the Premiership, having also put up fantastic numbers in front of goal (via WhoScored).

Earlier this year, The Athletic’s Kieran Devlin hailed the youngster, having claimed that the 20-year-old's transformation since last year’s winter break has been ‘astonishing’, duly making him ‘undroppable’ for Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou.

Therefore, with a busy schedule ahead for the Hoops, Abada can expect to receive plenty of game-time - both domestically and in Europe - this season.