FORMER Rangers striker Ross McCormack today revealed how he urged his former Fulham team-mate Patrick Roberts to go out on loan to Celtic in order to kickstart his career.

Roberts has been nothing short of a revelation for the Scottish champions since joining them from Manchester City back in January.

The 19-year-old, who cost City a cool £12million when he moved to the Etihad Stadium last summer, quickly established himself as a first team regular.

He scored six goals during the title run-in – including a double in the 3-2 win over Aberdeen at Parkhead earlier this month that clinched a fifth consecutive Ladbrokes Premiership title – and became a firm fans’ favourite.

McCormack, in Malta with the Scotland squad preparing for the friendly with France on Saturday, has been delighted, and not at all surprised, to see Roberts flourish.

He knew the winger would struggle to get a regular game in Manuel Pellegrini’s side alongside superstars like David Silva, Raheem Sterling and Yaya Toure when he departed Craven Cottage.

And the man who started his career at Rangers, who he memorably scored an equaliser for in a Champions League game against Porto in 2005, has told how he implored the wonderkid to seek a move.

The 29-year-old, who started up front for the national team in their meeting with Euro 2016 finalists Italy on Sunday, believes Celtic is the perfect club for him to develop and mature as a player.

“It is important for Patrick to be playing games at this stage in his career,” said the player who has been liked with £12million moves to relegated Premier League clubs Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Norwich City.

“I said to him when he was going to Man City that he was probably going to have to go out on loan and get some experience and go back a better player.

“That’s precisely what he has done. To be honest, there is probably no better club for him to go to. Celtic or Rangers in the SPFL attack most games and he can really show what he is good at.”

McCormack played in the same team as Roberts last season as the London club managed to avoid being relegated from the Sky Bet Championship in England.

He was impressed with how the youngster acquitted himself in a difficult campaign during which Cottagers fans turned on the team and manager Felix Magath was sacked.

“The Championship is quite different to most leagues,” he said. “It’s quite physical and there is not much time on the ball. There is not much space for him to do his thing.

“It was a big ask for him to make the step up to that level in the circumstances that he did. But he performed consistently well for us and became an important player for our team.”

McCormack, the ex-Motherwell, Cardiff City and Leeds United forward who joined Fulham in an £11 million move in 2014, was pleased when Roberts secured his big money transfer to City.

The English lad made his debut for the free-spending Barclays Premier League club when he came on as a substitute in a Capital One Cup game against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light in September.

He also came off the bench late on in 4-1 defeat to Spurs in a league game at White Hart Lane later on that month.

His first team opportunities, though, were limited and McCormack reckons he has done the right thing by moving to Scotland on a season-and-a-half long loan.

McCormack predicted the teenager will benefit from featuring for the Glasgow giants both in domestic competition and in Europe in the 2016/17 campaign.

“When he signed for Celtic I knew he would do well because he has always had the ability to go past players like they are not there,” he said.

“But when he develops into his body and gets stronger and starts to learn the game a bit more the sky is the limit for the kid.

“I struggled to get a regular game at Rangers during my time there. I enjoyed being at Ibrox, but it was important for me to play week in, week out and I definitely improved when I moved on and started to do that.”

Roberts was persuaded to come to Celtic by Ronny Deila – who has now stepped down as manager despite his side lifting the Premiership trophy for a second successive season.

However, McCormack is confident that he will continue to feature under new gaffer Brendan Rodgers, the former Swansea City and Liverpool boss, in the coming months.

“I am sure Patrick will keep getting selected despite the new manager coming in,” he said. “He has done superbly well in the games that he has played and I don’t think the new man in charge will want to disrupt that.

“Rodgers is a vastly experienced manager and in the past has liked his teams to play attacking football. I am sure he will appreciate what Roberts has to offer and will enjoy working with him.

“Scottish football is going to be really interesting next season with Rangers joining Celtic in the Premiership and I think Patrick will relish it. He did well in the Old Firm game.

“Being involved in that intensity of competition in Scotland is just what he needs to push on and take his career to a different level.”