ANY observer blind to the Celtic scoreline last Wednesday night would have been forgiven for assuming disaster had struck in the first leg of the Parkhead club’s second qualifying round had they stumbled into the post-match media room.

Dedryck Boyata’s monotone delivery and gloomy assessment of his performance as he lamented the fact he had had to come off with eight minutes of the game remaining due to cramp meant he cut a demoralised figure in the wake of the game.

Despite having not played for 18 months – his manager joked he hadn’t played for “about five years” – Boyata was unforgiving of the fact his body had found the going pretty tough in his first competitive match for Celtic.

Neither the goal he scored nor his impressive display was something he cared to dwell on.

It is such perfectionism that could help Celtic in their quest to make the Uefa Champions League group stage this season.

Boyata has quickly assimilated into the Hoops defence and such has been his early displays for Deila’s side that Jason Denayer’s absence after he returned to Manchester City this summer following his loan season at the club has scarcely warranted a mention.

While Boyata will still need some time to get up to full match fitness his defensive capabilities suggest that he can be a key performer this term.

And he has already eyed up the group stages of the Champions League as the key to winning international recognition.

His countryman Denayer found an entry into Belgium’s senior team after his campaign with Celtic last term and Boyata is confident that he too can benefit from playing at a high level with Deila’s side.

Boyata has been capped once for his country but that was four years ago, before his career stalled.

The defender made just 36 appearances in the nine years he was at City for and with Euro 2016 fast approaching, he sees European football with Celtic as an ideal way to stake his claim for recognition at international level.

“If you are not playing games for your club you cannot play for your country,” he said. “If I can play regularly at Celtic and play at a high level then hopefully I can show I am still good enough to be considered for my country.

“But I must play. I need to give the manager something to think about.”

Playing in the Champions League would be the perfect prelude to playing international football.

Boyata has admitted that it was the carrot of Europe that lured him to Glasgow and he is confident that Celtic can continue the job they started in Glasgow last week when they head to Iceland tomorrow.

Deila’s side have a 2-0 lead to protect against Stjarnan and, should they prevail, they will then face a trip to either Azerbaijan or Montenegro in the next round.

But at the minute Boyata is more concerned with ensuring that tomorrow’s game is as straightforward as possible.

“We have to think and we have to use our heads as well as our bodies,” he said. “We have a good lead but we do not want to lose any goals.

“We have to stay calm. We created a lot of chances when we played them. They were difficult to break down but we found lots of space. Hopefully we can do that again in Iceland but we also have to be careful.

“It would be nice to get an away goal early and settle us but we don’t have to chase goals. It is more important that we don’t concede any.”

Boyata has been tantalisingly close to Champions League action with Manchester City only to be sidelined throughout.

And he has admitted that the frustration of those seasons will drive him on as he attempts to make it into the group stage with Celtic.

“At Manchester City I was on the bench for maybe five or six Champions League games but I did not play,” he said. “That is very frustrating. You are desperate to do well but you do not get a chance.

“Not I feel that I have a big chance this season to help Celtic get there.

“Every football player dreams of playing in the Champions League and I am no different. It is where the best teams and the best players play. It is such a wonderful competition.

“I think it is possible for us to qualify but we cannot look too far ahead.

“We have to try to get a positive result on Wednesday and then we will see what we have to do next. “