ONCE the medical is completed and all the paperwork signed, Nadir Ciftci’s first port of call should be to approach the captain at his new club for a chat.

Now Celtic have got their man, and the Turk has the move he clearly wanted all along, one of Scottish football’s more colourful characters must seek out Scott Brown for a private conversation about his new life and the pitfalls which could lie in front of him.

There is nobody better at the club to put Ciftci right on a few things. Brown knows all about moving from one Scottish club to the other with a reputation that was far from unblemished.

His discipline was almost non-existent seven years ago, something that was a talking point at Hibs, but would become front page news at Celtic.

Brown has still had his moments – the red card against Barcelona springs to mind. But he has transformed himself into a superb Celtic player, a fine leader, someone who has not lost the aggression in his game, but who has learned how to curb his more excessive tendencies.

Indeed, he now uses his incredible desire and drive as a positive tool in his overall game. He should be a perfect example to the new boy.

Ciftci has a pretty long crime- sheet for a 23-year-old and one that could well get a lot worse depending on how the authorities treat him a few weeks from now when he defends himself against the biting charge in the Dundee derby.

And if he thought the spotlight shone brightly on him at Tannadice, he is about to enter another world.

Ronny Deila will want his new striker to stay out of trouble, but he will not want him to change everything about the way he plays, otherwise the Celtic manager would not have made three bids for him.

Ciftci has to continue being a physical centre-forward, a player who can lead the line and give opposition defenders nightmares. He should be able to do that and keep away from bother. I’ve heard it said that the lad can be lazy, a bit moody and on his day brilliant. Well, I wouldn’t say brilliant. Not yet.

There is talent there, but he will need to up his game. The fact he knows Scottish football is a bonus and he is the type of player Deila has been looking for.

Rarely if ever will we see Celtic play with twin strikers this season. They will go with Stefan Johansen as a No.10, two players wide and a centre-forward who can hold up play and can bring team-mates into the game.

Jelle Vossen was obviously a target, but he chose Burnley where he will probably earn more wages than he would in Glasgow – which is a galling thought.

The 4-2-3-1 system needs a big guy up-front and the fact that is Ciftci’s natural role and that his transfer fee, wages, age and experience all count for him, it means a lot of boxes being ticked by the one player. It will be interesting to see what happens with Leigh Griffiths who really came into his own at the end of last season.

He can play left, but is far more comfortable in the middle and made that his own.

And it’s a bit strange that the front three could be all ex-Dundee United players because I would imagine Stuart Armstrong and Gary Mackay-Steven will be favourites to play either side of Ciftci.

It also might be the first time Celtic have signed a player knowing there is every chance he will miss the start of the season because of a ban.

On the field, what I want to see from him is a striker who works the back four all game, who wins headers and scores a few goals as well. That’s the key to being a Celtic centre-forward – goals and lots of them.

It’s a step up for him. Dundee United are a big club and a good team, but there is a difference between what they are going for and trying to get your new club into the Champions League.

I would hope he knows what Celtic is all about having been in Scotland for a while because that helps new signings settle in.

I was fortunate during my time as Celtic manager in that I didn’t really have to have too many quiet words with the players in terms of discipline. There were the occasional incidents when maybe one stepped out of line and I felt the need to have a chat.

But by and large they were good lads who got on with their jobs.

I’m informed that Ciftci is a nice lad and that some of his on-field stuff does not reflect his personality. But he will have to learn that life at Celtic can be tough for anyone who doesn’t hit the ground running.

This is a fantastic opportunity for the boy and he would be daft to let his indiscipline ruin the best move of his career.

Glasgow Times:

David Moyes has had one El of a career in management

ONE of my first jobs as Celtic manager when I walked through the doors in 1983 was to sell David Moyes to Cambridge United.

He was a really good lad. A solid pro, but one who was always going to struggle to be a regular at the club and the best thing for him was to move on.

David had a decent playing career in the lower leagues, but always had an eye for coaching and managing. Like me, he was in his early thirties when he got his chance at Preston North End and what a career in management he has had since then, especially at Everton.

I felt for him during his short spell at Manchester United. He should have been given more time to mould his team, but it wasn’t to be.

He is a proud Glaswegian and I’m sure he will look forward to bringing his Real Sociedad side to Scotland to face his old club Celtic on Friday night at St Mirren Park.

I am a great admirer of David. He did a fantastic job at Everton and showed some bravery in moving to Spain when the easier option would have been to stay in Britain. I am sure he had plenty of offers.

This is a great game for Celtic. Spanish opposition are never anything other than strong and they could do with a good workout before next Wednesday and the Champions League qualifier against FC Stjarnan – a game we seem to have been talking about forever.

I never read too much into pre-season matches, but maybe the 5-3 defeat to Dukla Prage was a gentle reminder that a bit more work needs done before the season begins for real.

Dukla are a couple of weeks ahead of Celtic regarding pre-season, and Stjarna are already well into their domestic campaign, so last Saturday was a good indication of what still needs to be done.

The players need to rediscover the edge, the match sharpness, which does go missing even on the shortest of breaks.

The defence shipped five goals last weekend – never a good sign – but this is the time to do just that so the mistakes can be worked on and rectified.

Friday will give us a clearer picture as to where Celtic are at this moment in time and how far or near they are to being ready for the Icelandic champions.