The other day, I talked about the key attributes a Celtic striker needs to be successful here. I wrote it because we were linked with Tyrese Campbell and I wanted to evaluate the strengths of that signing through a few specific criteria; first touch, close control, composure and finishing. He came up short.

But the doubts would never have surfaced in the first place if he had possessed another specific skill-set. There is one other attribute a striker must possess, and it matters more than any flashy highlight reel or overhyped scouting report.

A Celtic striker has to arrive here having already proved he can score goals. Not look like he might do it one day. Not lived off potential and promise. I mean proper, cold, hard evidence. Goals. Numbers. End product.

The true currency of a striker.

When I look back at the best modern Celtic forwards, I do not see gambles. I see certainty.

I see men who walked through the doors already carrying that weight of expectation because they had earned it elsewhere. Henrik Larsson, Gary Hooper, Scott McDonald, Leigh Griffiths, John Hartson, Odsonne Edouard, Kyogo Furuhashi, Giorgos Giakoumakis. I could go on, but in modern...