AS HE celebrated Stefan Scepovic's goal which sealed Celtic's vital win at Kilmarnock on Monday, Nir Bitton would have been entitled to shout to the Serb striker:

"I told you it would all come good for you."

Like the man bought from Sporting Gijon in the summer for £2.3million, the Israeli midfielder found the switch of clubs, country and culture a shock to the system.

Likewise, having been a regular starter for FC Ashdod before his £700,000 transfer in the summer of 2013, Bitton struggled to deal with the fact he spent as much time watching from the sidelines as he did getting stuck into the action.

An injury picked up while on international duty in March saw his debut season fizzle out prematurely.

The change of manager in the summer could have been the catalyst for more appearances as Ronny Deila brought with him a new philosophy which required changes to the personnel favoured by his predecessor, Neil Lennon.

However, Bitton quickly found out that, the more managers change, the more things stay the same.

The club may finally have found out how to spell his surname correctly, but the first six months of Deila's reign saw the holding midfielder more a spectator than participant.

So Bitton is relieved and delighted that he is finally starting to put together a series of starts for the Hoops.

And, he believes he is better equipped to make the most of this latest opportunity as he is now fully assimilated into life as a Celt in Scotland.

He has watched Scepovic follow the same difficult beginning to his time here, and is sure the striker - who scored only his fourth goal for the club at Rugby Park - can now push on with renewed belief and confidence.

Bitton said: "It is not easy for him, and that was the same for me in the beginning.

"You are coming from another league and another style of football.

"You need to settle in and understand what everyone expects from you.

"But I trust Stefan. He is a very good player.

"He will do good things for Celtic, and I am not worried at all."

Scepovic was accustomed to being part of a two-man attack with Gijon, where he was one of the leading marksmen in the Spanish second tier.

Deila's side rarely deploys two up front, the Norwegian preferring to utilise a striker with someone playing directly behind him, with further support coming from wide areas.

It means massive adjustment has been required from Scepovic, and Bitton empathises with his team-mate.

"It's a different style of football here," he explained.

"But Stefan is a good goalscorer and I am sure he will score a lot of goals for Celtic."

Some of the burden which has appeared to weigh down Scepovic to this point may be lifted if Celtic buy again in this window.

To date, he is the only player bought since Deila took over, Craig Gordon arriving on a free and the other recruits coming in on loans deals.

In the money-mad world of today's transfer market, where strikers can move for over £75m, the fee paid for him could be mistaken for VAT.

But it is a measure of where Celtic currently are, and how prudent they have to be to ensure they do not get into the kind of financial difficulties which can store up major problems for the future.

Having such a limited budget means they have to continually discover more and more markets where they can get value for their money.

Israel has proved to be one such source in recent years, with Beram Kayal, Efe Ambrose and Bitton all bought from there.

Kayal now appears to be heading for the exit door as his contract runs out at the end of the season, while Ambrose's future is also the subject of speculation.

The defender lost his place in the side in October, and only got back when Jason Denayer and Mikael Lustig picked up injuries.

Bitton was also the beneficiary of a team-mate's misfortune, stepping back into the side when Charlie Mulgrew suffered a knee inflammation problem which continues to keep him sidelined.

It's not the way Bitton wanted to get another chance. But, having been the victim of injury himself, he accepts it is part and parcel of a footballer's life.

He recognises that, at this level and with a club contesting four trophies, it is very much a squad game.

Bitton told the Celtic View: "Sometimes I will play, sometimes Charlie will play, and sometimes it will be someone else.

"The most important thing is to enjoy success with the team, to win and do the things the gaffer wants us to do.

"Everybody wants to play, and, of course, I am no different.

"But it's not about me, and I will always give 100 per cent to help."

That is now being acknowledged by Deila who revealed he had a heart-to-heart with Bitton to explain exactly what he had to do to get back into his plans.

The response has been positive, and Bitton said: "I know what everyone expects of me. I try to train hard and I just want to have success at Celtic.

"When the gaffer and your team-mates say good words to you, you start to believe more in yourself.

"That's what I want, I want to improve every day and do the things the gaffer wants me to do."

Deila will use the break in Gran Canaria to let Bitton, Scepovic and the rest of the Celtic squad know exactly what he expects of them in the second half of the season.

The midfielder believes a huge benefit was gleaned from a similar training camp and games in Turkey this time last year and said: "These kind of trips make you closer to the other players.

"And, for the new guys this year, it will be a good trip, as well.

"To be together for a week is a good experience and can only help us.

"I hope it will help us over the next few months to win the championship and do well in the cups and Europa League."