CELTIC boss Ronny Deila was today told Carlton Cole will net regularly in Scotland AND create chances for his team mates if he moves to the Parkhead club.

Cole, who is a free agent after being released by West Ham in the summer, trained with the Scottish champions at Lennoxtown yesterday.

The 31-year-old hit man will hold talks with club officials and decide if is interested in moving to this country this week.

Deila, who only has Nadir Ciftici and Leigh Griffiths to choose from up front, is keen to make the vastly-experienced player’s stay in Glasgow a permanent one.

Frank McAvennie, the former Celtic and West Ham centre forward, certainly believes it would be a shrewd move by the Norwegian adding Cole to his pool.

“He is a good player,” he said. “He’ll score goals his fair share of up here in Scotland, of that I have no doubt. Yes, he has never been a prolific scorer, but he brings more to the team than goals. He will also create chances for other people. I think that is what Ronnie is looking for at the moment.

“He is not like Griff. He is not going to run about for 90 minutes. But he will make himself available for a pass out and he will hold it up. There are not many people who will take the ball off him that’s for sure.

“If he was to come in now he would probably get into double figures for the season. I am sure he will do well. He is a big boy. He is not going to get beaten in the air. He is still only 31 too. He will be mobile. He has a definite presence about him.

“Carlton won’t be able to play in the Europa League group stages because Celtic have already submitted their squad to UEFA, but I think he will do well for them in Europe if they progress to the knockout rounds. He has played in the Premier League in England for a long time. His track record speaks for itself.”

Griffiths netted his 10th goal of the 2015/16 campaign when he opened the scoring in the Ladbrokes Premiership match against Dundee at Celtic Park on Sunday. Ciftci came off the bench in the second half and bagged his first goal for the home team to complete a 6-0 rout.

However, McAvennie, the former Scotland internationalist who enjoyed two spells at both Celtic and West Ham, believes Deila needs to strengthen his options up front with Anthony Stokes falling out of favour and Stefan Scepovic going out on loan to Getafe.

“It is good for a striker to have competition,” he said. “Celtic have got Stokesy in the squad, but I don’t know where he is now. I actually thought he had left, but he hasn’t. He is so far down the line there. The manager needs to bring in more strikers.

“I have met Carlton down at West Ham. He is well liked down there and I am sure he would fit into the squad well. He is certainly not past it. A few boys have just gone in there. I am sure he could have agreed another contract with West Ham. I think they would have offered him something. But I don’t think he would have been keen on not playing regularly. They have a lot of options there.

“I think he will fit right in at Celtic. They are getting the ball down and playing. Their confidence has been shot a wee bit by a couple of bad results. But the Dundee game will have done them the world of good. Their style of play will suit Carlton's style of play. He won’t be coming up here for a pay day. He is an honest big lad.”