Celtic assistant manager John Collins has acknowledged Greg Stewart as the Dundee danger man ahead of Sunday’s Ladbrokes Premiership clash at Parkhead.
The 25-year-old forward joined the Dens Park club from Cowdenbeath in the summer of 2014 and in his first season as a full-time player he scored 15 goals and was named on the four-player shortlist for the PFA Scotland players’ player of the year award.
Collins noted that Stewart scored the only goal of the game in Dundee’s 1-0 win over Partick at Firhill last week to take his tally to four this season.
The former Celtic midfielder said: “He had a wonderful season last season, scored some excellent goals and is doing exactly the same this year.
“In and around the 18-yard box he’s a real threat and has an eye for a goal. He’s been a great signing for Paul Hartley and we’ll have to keep an eye on him.”
It’s rare praise for an opposing league player from Collins, who caused a storm earlier in the season by claiming Celtic’s ability to compete in Europe is hindered because domestically “they’re not clever enough players or quick enough thinkers to punish us.”
Collins also had kinder words for the whole Dark Blues setup, adding: “I can only give Paul and his coaching team credit. They came up last season, they play good football and always gives us tough games.
“We will have to be at our best to beat them.”
Leaders Aberdeen are looking for their eighth successive league win since the start of the season in their game against Hearts at Tynecastle on Sunday.
And with that match in Gorgie kicking off 45 minutes earlier than the game at Celtic Park, second-placed Hoops could be eight points behind Derek McInnes’s side before their game is finished.
However, Collins is reluctant to focus too much on the Dons in terms of how they will handle the pressure of being the front runner in the title race.
“We’ll soon find out,” he said.
“They are sitting above us and we’ll chase them. Last season we weren’t out in front and we played catch-up.
“Eventually we caught up and moved clear of them so we’ll see how they cope with it.”