GARY Mackay-Steven’s career at Celtic started spectacularly and quickly continued in a similar vein after he completed his £250,000 transfer from Dundee United back in February.

The winger scored after just 38 seconds of his debut against Partick Thistle at Firhill and promptly went on to start, and acquit himself well, in both legs of the Europa League last 32 matches against Italian giants Inter Milan.

The 25-year-old played on 15 occasions in total for Ronny Deila’s side in the final months of the 2014/15 campaign and pitched in with four goals to help them land their third consecutive Scottish title.

This season, though, Mackay-Steven has, by his own frank admission, failed to reproduce that form.

He has become an increasingly peripheral figure at Parkhead as the likes of Kris Commons and James Forrest have been preferred.

He hasn’t netted for the Glasgow club all term and last kicked off a match against Aberdeen at Pittodrie back on September 12 - when he failed to make an impact and was substituted.

“I feel my levels have not been what I want them to be,” he said. “That has been due to a number of things. We have got a strong squad at Celtic and the boys who have been playing have been doing well.”

Yet, the Thurso-born player, who was on hand to welcome Utilita Energy on board as the new £200,000 sponsor of the League Cup at Hampden yesterday, is confident that he can get back to his best and hold down a regular first team place.

“I feel there’s a lot more to come,” he said. “I’m fit, I’m healthy and I’m feeling good so I am quite content that I will show what I can do in the coming weeks. I just need to keep my head down in training and when you get the chance take it. I am confident I will do that.”

“We have got a squad of over 20 and everyone has got quality in their respective positions. But it is a great challenge to have. If you let your levels drop you will be out of the team. But I know what I can do and I am feeling really good fitness wise so there is no reason why I won’t be back in there.

“Training has been going well, but the squad has been winning and doing well. You just have to wait your chance. You want to be creating goals and you want to be scoring goals all of the time.

“If you have a few games where you don’t do that questions get asked of you probably more than anyone else. But you need to take in on the chin and keep working hard.”

Mackay-Steven dismissed suggestions that he was struggling to deal with the higher level of scrutiny from the media and supporters at Celtic than he experienced at previous clubs Airdrie United at Dundee United.

“I knew it would be like that before I came,” he said. “At Dundee United there were times when I wasn’t in the team as well. You just have to keep a high standard all the time and that is something I’m looking to do starting from now.”

Mackay-Steven predicted he would be able to get back to his best in the games Celtic have coming up in the Europa League and all three domestic competitions in the coming weeks and months.

“The manager has stressed that every member of the squad is valuable when we have got two or three games a week,” he said. “Players need a rest and players come in. It is just a case of taking your chance and being ready for it.”

One Celtic player whose form has been consistently high for both club and country this season both in Scotland and in Europe is captain and central midfielder Scott Brown.

Mackay-Steven, then, was surprised to read reports suggesting Brown was set to call time on his international career after failing to help the national team secure a place in the Euro 2016 finals in France next summer.

The once-capped Scotland internationalist believes his team mate, who also skippers his country, can continue in both roles and play an important part in our bid to reach the World Cup in Russia in 2018.

“He is a big driving force at Celtic and the same is true with the national team,” he said. “I think he has got so many more years to give. Ultimately, it will come down to him at the end, but he can certainly play at that level for a good few more years in my opinion.”

“He is an all-action player. He gives everything every single time he goes out on the park. He leaves nothing out there really whether it is with Celtic or Scotland. It is definitely big for him mentally and physically for him, week in, week out. But he is so good at what he does.

“He has done it for so long that ultimately it will be up to him, but he will be a big miss when the time comes if he does call it a day for Scotland.

“If there was ever a player who gives 100 per cent it is Scott Brown. He is such an influential figure, not just on the field but off the field as well, he really helps every single player, certainly at Celtic, settle in. He talks to them. He is just a really good influential captain.”

Meanwhile, Mackay-Steven predicted Motherwell will have received a huge lift from Mark McGhee, who he has worked with in the past in the Scotland set-up, being appointed manager ahead of their Ladbrokes Premiership meeting at Fir Park on Saturday lunchtime.

“He took some of the sessions when I was away with Scotland and he was always really enthusiastic and always wanted a high tempo in the sessions,” he said. “They were tough, but they got the best out of the boys.

“I think he will go to Motherwell and will bring a lot of freshness to them. They will all be looking to do well for him. I think it’s a really good appointment and it will make our job a little bit harder on Saturday.

“They might want to give a little bit more than usual. We will need to be ready for it. It is only natural when a guy comes in that you want to impress him, you want to show why you should be playing. Whoever gets the nod for them on Saturday will definitely be up for the game. We will need to be ready for that and treat them with a lot of respect.”