Rakishly lean, tall and sporting a cropped head of hair with a scowl to match, Jozo Simunovic doesn’t offer the impression that he suffers fools gladly.

Indeed, at first glance one would be forgiven an assumption that the Croatian would be more at home playing the Hollywood hitman in the musty backroom of a shuttered poker den, snapping fingers and busting skulls rather than earning a living kicking a ball.

And yet, he has been an enforcer of sorts for Celtic this season.

“It’s my job not to let anything get past me,” shrugs Simunovic, in the slow, languid drawl of a bouncer offering a knockback to the VIP lounge.

At just 22, Simunovic is the youngest of the central defenders that Brendan Rodgers has at his disposal. There is also a feeling that Celtic are more composed with Simunovic in the backline than they are with any other combination.

The defender was left out of the starting line-up for the game against Rangers at Celtic Park just over a week ago, a performance that was more sluggish and staccato than we have come to expect from a team who have steam-rollered their way to the stage where they now stand on the precipice of a sixth successive title.

“I was fit, I wasn’t injured but the manager made his choice and I have no problem with that,” said Simunovic. “He has to make the decisions and I have to respect that. He has been great for us this season and has made the team better. I don’t think we can have too many complaints about anything.

“Everyone wants to play every game. It doesn’t always happen that way. You have to accept that. I understand.”

Whatever happens after the international week, there is a strong likelihood that Celtic will be champions by April 2nd.

Whether that comes at Tynecastle when Celtic play Hearts 48 hours after Aberdeen play Dundee at Dens Park – a win for Paul Hartley’s side would make it arithmetically impossible for anyone to catch Celtic - remains to be seen, but it is inevitable that the celebrations are imminent.

And Simunovic has insisted that he has no issue with how the title is won so long as it is delivered with minimum fuss.

“When we started this season we wanted to win three trophies and we still have the chance to do that,” he said. “Personally, I would rather we won the league ourselves by beating Hearts, but it doesn’t matter too much. The most important thing is that we win the title.”

The league title isn’t the only prize that will be sealed in the coming weeks.

The voting for individual gongs for the season will swing into place with the certainty being that Celtic will produce this season’s Player of the Year. Moussa Dembele has stolen many of the headlines with his goals, while Scott Sinclair, Scott Brown and Kieran Tierney have all made contributions that aren’t likely to go unnoticed.

Simunovic, though, was too diplomatic to pick a name.

“There are lots of players here who have helped us this season,” he said. “Moussa has scored a lot of goals but so has Scott [Sinclair]. There have been so many players who have been very good – Stuart Armstrong, Scott Brown, Craig Gordon.

“But my own feeling is that we have down so we have done so well because we play as a team. I don’t think we have any players who see themselves as bigger than the team. That is why we have played so well.

“So I don’t care so much about those awards. It is more important that we continue to play like this, as one team, if we want to keep bringing success to the club.”

Simunovic partnered Dedryck Boyata on Sunday at Dens Park but for the opening half of the season he looked to have formed a solid relationship with Erik Sviatchenko.

“It doesn’t bother me who I play with,” said the defender. “When I was at Dinamo Zagreb we went unbeaten for 9 months but the manager changed it almost for every game. I don’t think it is a problem.

“It is only a problem if you are not winning. I want to play but it is not up to me to say who plays beside me, that is the decision for the manager. The only thing that matters is that you win the game and get the points. If you are doing that, then you are doing something right.”

Celtic can still boast an unbeaten record this season domestically, something that Simunovic was cautiously proud of.

“It is not over for us yet,” he said. “There are still nine league games to play and the semi-final of the Scottish Cup to go. It is a nice record but it won’t mean anything until we get to the end of the season. Hopefully we can keep it going until then but we don’t get too hung up on things like that.

“It is not something we all sit down and talk about.

“It is always the next game, the next game. That is what it has to be if you want to keep winning.”