MARK McGhee today tipped Gary Mackay-Steven to take his career to the next level at Celtic and force his way into the Scotland side.

Mackay-Steven has signed a pre-contract agreement with the Hoops and is set to join them after his deal with Dundee United expires in the summer.

The 24-year-old is one of the most exciting talents in the country and made his debut for the national team in a friendly against the United States in 2013.

But McGhee, who helped the Glasgow club win a league and cup double in the centenary year in 1988, thinks the winger will get even better at Parkhead.

He said: "He will definitely take his game to the next level at Celtic. Now, that is not a reflection on Dundee United.

"They have done brilliantly to bring him to the stage he is at.

"But United have, of late, sold players. Therefore, in a sense, they are undermining themselves all of the time by having to sell their best players. It is not their fault.

"But Gary needed to go somewhere where the team will develop rather than be sold around him.

"I think with the development he'll get at Celtic and the time they'll spend on him you will start to see a player emerge."

Former Motherwell boss McGhee, who spent five years at Celtic at the height of his playing career, believes Mackay-Steven will be an excellent addition to Ronny Deila's squad.

He said: "We've had him in the squad a couple of times. He is another one of those who you look at and think: 'Is that smile stitched on?'

"He is just a boy who is happy with life and happy with football."

Meanwhile, McGhee has insisted that Shaun Maloney joining MLS club Chicago Fire won't have a detrimental impact on the forward's international career.

"Wigan star Maloney has turned down a move to English Premier League club Leicester City and looks set to reject a transfer back to Celtic in order to move to the United States.

The 31-year-old has been a regular starter for Gordon Strachan's side and netted a wonder goal in the Euro 2016 qualifier against the Republic of Ireland in November.

And McGhee has no fears that moving across the Atlantic to play for Fire will prevent him from featuring for his country in the future or adding his haul of 37 caps.

He said: "It will be like any other international team who have players playing abroad.

"We would call him in when we needed him.

"Kenny Miller did it. Obviously, the logistics of it, getting back and forward, are a bit more difficult. But I think we would still expect Shaun to turn up."

The ex-Motherwell manager isn't concerned about the standard that former Scottish Player of the Year Maloney would be playing at if he did decide to move to America.

He said: "Shaun looks after himself, he is very conscious of his own health and fitness.

"He is that sort of lad. He is at the moment playing in the Championship and the American scene is probably close to that than it is the Premiership. So I think it would be okay."