Mikael Lustig feels he has been in the best form of his Celtic career, and he puts it all down to getting back to basics after finally shaking off the injuries which hampered him for so long.

Lustig had endured two seasons of injury hell, spending months on the sidelines, but during the last two campaigns he has been able to stay fit for the vast majority of the season.

That has allowed him to return to his peak, and he has taken to the new expectations placed upon him by Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers this season with relish.

“The last two years have been great for me,” Lustig said.

“I went back to basics and worked the way I did at Rosenborg and never missed a game.

“I’ve had a different role playing in a back three and I think it suited me a little better. It just feels good to always be on the pitch.

“There are a lot of games in Scotland and when you get one injury you want back as soon as possible and you maybe rush things.

“But the seasons I missed games were down to groin operations – which could happen to anyone. The other injury was caused by me landing awkwardly after a tackle and that could happen to anyone as well.

“It’s nice to be fit and play my role, play 90 minutes most week.”

With full fitness has come renewed confidence, as anyone who witnessed Lustig’s mazy run and finish against Rangers at Ibrox back in April would be able to testify.

And while he has tempered expectations of goals like that becoming a regular feature of his game, Lustig thinks that there are now more players taking on that sort of responsibility than there had been in the past.

“When you get confidence on the park things go so much better,” he said. “Last season we were fit as well but late on in games no-one wanted the ball.

“You would hope that Paddy [Patrick Roberts] or Jamesie [James Forrest] would take it and do something, but now you can see everyone wants to be brave on the ball.

“I want the ball too – but it’s not easy to change the game from right-back. I can’t take it and dribble the length of the park.

“But when you have confidence you see passes and have time on the ball. When you miss that then everything is quick and it looks like you are a poor player.”

And Lustig has certainly looked far from a poor player this season, and he feels that the best could yet be to come from both himself and from Celtic as a whole, particularly if they can supplement their squad with some quality additions..

“I think this is the happiest I’ve been,” he said. “To have the feeling that we can keep the best players and also bring in better players to the club is good. That’s the first time in three or four years.

“We have had good seasons but then the best players have gone south and we replace them with players from the Scottish league.

“Stuart [Armstrong] has been brilliant but to get Moussa [Dembele] and Scotty [Sinclair] from England helps. They have made a really big impact.

“To be part of this club right now is really good. I’m excited – absolutely. The players here have done brilliantly and any new player has to prove they want to work and play here.

“Everyone knows what Celtic is all about – 60,000 every game and aiming to win trophies. If you’re an ambitious player then come to Celtic.”