ELI Guttman had spent a lifetime in football and travelled the world both as a player and manager when he took his Hapoel Tel Aviv side to Glasgow to take on Celtic.

But the renowned Israeli coach was still astonished by the electrifying atmosphere inside Parkhead for a Europa League group game back midway through the 2009/10 season.

There were only 32,000 fans inside the famous old stadium, too, for a showdown that Tony Mowbray's men ran out 2-0 winners in thanks to goals from Georgios Samaras and Barry Robson.

Guttman reckons Nir Bitton, who he managed for five years, would be crazy to turn his back on the chance to play for the Scottish champions in their imposing arena every other week.

Speculation about the future of Bitton has intensified in the last few days after his agent Dudu Dahan confirmed he has fielded enquiries about the deep-lying midfielder.

Dahan has directed all of the calls to Hoops chief executive Peter Lawwell - and has dismissed claims his client will move on in the summer if an interested party meets his £10 million valuation.

Celtic, too, released a statement declaring they had not received any approaches about an individual they bought for £700,000 from Ashdod little over two years ago.

Nevertheless, the rumour mill has gone into overdrive - with the 24-year-old now being tipped to become the latest Celtic player who is snapped up by an English Premier League club for a hefty transfer fee.

Guttman, who worked with Bitton with the Israeli national team during their ill-fated Euro 2016 qualifying campaign, reckons his former charge should resist the temptation to move on.

For the 57-year-old is confident he can achieve great things – including qualification for the Champions League group stages – if he remains with the Glasgow giants.

He said: “I must tell you, Nir was one of my best players in the Euro 2016 qualifying campaign. He came to be a key player for Israel.

“He has good vision and knows very well how to move the ball the right way. He is very smart. He has a very powerful shot and a very good technique.

“He has improved a lot during his time in Celtic. They have helped him become a better player. I noticed it when he came away with Israel.

“I played Nir in exactly the same position as Celtic with the Israel national team in a 4-2-3-1 set-up. If we were playing a 4-1-4-1 he can be the one in front of defence.”

Guttman added: “When we were away with the national team we spoke. Nir liked Celtic very much. But every football person, including me, knows all about Celtic.

“I played against Celtic when I was the manager of Hapoel Tel Aviv. When you walk out at the stadium all of the hairs on your arms and legs stand up.

“This is the atmosphere that you want behind you. Nir loves football and Nir loves Celtic. In my opinion he did very well to sign for such a club.

“Every game you have over at Parkhead stadium is incredible. Where else can you find this atmosphere with Celtic? Where are there so many people supporting the team every week?

“If Nir continues to play every week, to take up his position in the team, to one day be one of the leaders in the team, he will get better.”

Guttman led Hapoel into the group stages of the Champions League for the first time in their history in the 2010/11 season - and he has urged Bitton to stay at Celtic and emulate that feat.

He said: “You can’t compare the competition in Scotland with playing for Israel. They are the best team in the country and all the best players in the league are with them.

“With Celtic Nir is playing with more confidence. When you are playing with more confidence you can develop your quality.

“He has a very good personality. He wants to prove himself. Getting to the Champions League is the challenge for him and he can achieve it at Celtic.

“As a coach who qualified for the Champions League, I believe he can do this. I managed Hapoel Tel Aviv when we made it through to the group stages.

“We played good football and did well when we got there and beat Benfica of Portugal. I think Nir can do this with Celtic.”

Celtic have failed to qualify for the Champions League group stages in three attempts since Ronny Deila came in as manager last summer.

They have lost to Legia Warsaw, NK Maribor after being given a surprise reprieve by Uefa, and Malmo in the qualifying rounds of Europe’s premier club competition.

However, Bitton was hardly involved in those first two disappointment – he only really established himself as a first team regular after Charlie Mulgrew suffered a tendon injury midway through last season.

He is now regarded as being key to the East End club’s prospects of joining the continent’s elite in the Champions League proper – an achievement worth in excess of £20 million.

Guttman is confident that his countryman will turn down the chance to increase his earnings playing in the bottom half of the Premier League down south and try to earn a crack at the likes of Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid.

He said: “Nir has his whole career ahead of him. He has the ability to move on in time. But he should make developing his career, not going after more money, his priority and I think that he will. He has got character and wants to test himself against the best sides in the world.”