DAVIE HAY: Bitton is no longer the Nir-ly man at Celtic

If I am being honest, when I initially saw him, I thought he looked more like a basketball player than a footballer.

But having finally found form, consistency and a bit more strength, there's no doubt Nir has now emerged as a very important player in the side Ronny Deila is building.

Kris Commons even went as far as to mention his name first in a short list of team-mates when asked about potential candidates for Player of the Year.

That's fine, because everyone sees different things in different people.

If I had a vote, it would go to Craig Gordon, who has made a fairytale return to the very top, or Stefan Johansen, who has been the epitome of the all-action, consistent player Ronny is trying to develop.

Nir would certainly be well in the running for the most improved. He is an excellent example of taking your chance when it comes along - because, had Charlie Mulgrew not picked up his injury when he did, I don't think Ronny would have put Nir in his team.

Full marks to Nir, then, for going to the manager and asking what he had to do to get a regular start, and even more credit to him for taking on board the answer he got and acting upon it.

But you need that door to open for you, and Charlie's absence unlocked it for Nir, and now you have to seriously question if the Scotland cap will get his place back alongside Scott Brown in the deep-lying midfield position.

It's going to be a big call for Ronny when Charlie does eventually regain his fitness.

Charlie and Scott had built up a very good partnership in front of the defence.

But Nir and Scott now dovetail very well, interchanging as and when required, protecting the back line, breaking up attacks before they can become dangerous and starting moves for their team.

These are all qualities which other managers are looking for, and I know clubs in England are already monitoring Nir closely. His style looks to me to be a very good fit for the way the game is played down there.

I'd go as far as to say it is perhaps better suited to English football than it is to Scottish football.

I have no doubt Nir has what it takes to make the move to a top Championship club, at least. He has made great strides in the past few months, most notably in the way he no longer gets caught in possession.

The big challenge now is to sustain this level of form, the way the likes of Scott or Stefan or Craig do. If he can do that, who knows how far he can go as he is still only 23?

I understand some people are already comparing Nir to my old team-mate, George Connelly. Sorry, but I can't see that, and not just because George has, for many many years, been one of my pals.

Folk can get a bit carried away these days, and perhaps people are basing their comparison on the fact both are tall, although George was a much thicker-set figure. In my book, he was also a much more accomplished player than Nir.

That's not meant to be any kind of slight on Nir. It's just that there have not been many down the years who could claim they had what George had.

He really was a special, special player, even though, because of his personal issues which caused him to walk away from the game, we never really got the chance to see him reach his full potential.

What Nir does have in common with George is his composure on the ball and his vision. But George's range of passing was greater than what Nir has shown to date.

There is still room - and time - for improvement. And, with what is on the line in this half of the season, Nir is getting great experience which can only help him develop further.

He has stood up to the rigours of this series of games against Dundee United without getting over-involved in any of the bust-ups.

I'd expect him to play a big part in today's league match against Jackie McNamara's team, as well.

It's probably going to help defuse the situation that Ronny can make a number of changes to his line-up for the final game in this mini-series.

I said before the very first meeting, the William Hill Scottish Cup-tie at Tannadice, that it would be toughest one of the four for Celtic.

So far, I have been proved correct. And I don't expect today's game to change this.

After three physically-demanding encounters, Celtic can bring in fresh legs for this one in the shape of Gary Mackay-Steven and Stuart Armstrong, who were both cup-tied.

Stefan can also return after serving his suspension on Wednesday night. It perhaps took him to sit out a game for people to fully appreciate just what he brings to the team, and I'm sure United will not be relishing trying to shackle him after he has had a rare rest.

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