ADAM MATTHEWS might be the quiet man of the Celtic dressing room-but his performances in the Champions League this season have certainly sent out a loud message that he has what it takes to cut it at the highest level.

When the Welshman travelled north of the border in 2011 on a Bosman from Championship club Cardiff City, his arrival perhaps didn't spark as much excitement among the Parkhead punters as some of Neil Lennon's other acquisitions.

While it didn't take long for the full-back to quickly curry favour with the green and white faithful with impressive performances, it could be argued his status is currently at an all-time high on account of his Euro displays this term.

The pick of the bunch, of course, came when Barcelona arrived in Glasgow before being sent packing having found themselves on the wrong end of a shock 2-1 defeat.

The way Matthews managed to keep none other than Lionel Messi at bay was a massive factor that evening.

Tonight, of course, the defender could find himself gracing the competition for the last time this term as they approach the last 16 second leg clash with Juventus on the back of a 3-0 defeat at Celtic Park three weeks ago.

Although there is likely to be a sense of frustration at the manner in which they lost to the Italian giants in the first leg, leaving them requiring a minor miracle, Matthews believes that whatever happens here tonight Celtic deserve credit for their Champions League exertions.

"It's been an unbelievable journey for us," said the Welsh internationalist. "First and foremost, just to qualify for the group stage of the Champions League was a big, big thing for us because it is really tough having to come through two qualifying matches.

"You have to remember we were playing teams who were already in the middle of their domestic campaigns while we had hardly finished pre-season training.

"Those qualifying matches against both Helsinki and Helsingborgs were absolutely massive.

"But we won them and earned the right to play in the group stage. To then qualify from that group was once again a brilliant performance from us.

"I don't think many gave us a lot of hope of finishing ahead of Benfica and Spartak Moscow, so that was also a great achievement.

"Regardless of what happens tonight against Juventus, I'm sure we'll be able to look back on our achievements in Europe this season with a lot of pride."

And his own displays? Matthews isn't the type of player who likes to give himself a pat on the back, but he has enjoyed playing against the best in the business.

"That's one of the great things about the Champions League – you find yourself playing against top players in every single match.

"I've played against Barcelona, Spartak and Benfica, and also Juventus.

"I know when you play international football, which I'm fortunate enough to do with Wales, you're performing at a very high level, but every player wants to play in the Champions League and that is why the quality is as high as it is.

"It can only make you a better player. I enjoyed playing in the Europa League last season but taking part in the Champions League is definitely a big step up from that."

As expected, you won't find anyone in Lennon's squad here completely ruling out the remote possibility of staging what would surely be the most remarkable comeback ever in the club's history by turning the tie on its head.

Realistically, they all know the soft goals they conceded at Celtic Park have most likely cost them their chance of reaching the quarter-finals of the competition.

But Matthews is determined to help his side put on a good show, regardless.

"We feel we could have played better in the first leg," he said.

"We didn't make Juventus work as hard for the goals as they should have, but we also feel one or two things didn't go our way on the night.

"I certainly think we showed we could cause them one or two problems and hopefully that will be the case again tonight.

"We'll be approaching the game in a positive manner, although respectful of the fact we are playing the current Italian champions. We won't want to leave ourselves open at the back either.

"An early goal would be fantastic but we'll just need to see how it goes.

"Juventus are a top quality outfit and they have world-class players all over the park. What is important from our point of view is that we go out there and compete and give a good account of ourselves."