BRENDAN Rodgers has tipped Moussa Dembele to rediscover his goalscoring form and spearhead Celtic’s push for a seventh Scottish title now the January transfer window has closed.

Chris Davies, the Parkhead club’s assistant manager, admitted last month that constant speculation about Dembele’s future had affected the striker’s form.

But the 21-year-old, who has attracted interest from Brighton, Crystal Palace and Stoke City, will be staying in Glasgow until the end of the 2017/18 campaign at least.

The Frenchman scored his first goal in eight games and set up two others in his side’s 3-1 triumph over Hearts at Celtic Park on Wednesday evening.

Rodgers, whose side take on Kilmarnock in the league at Rugby Park this afternoon, is hoping that he and his countryman Odsonne Edouard can supply the goals which secure more silverware.

“I thought Moussa was back to somewhere near his best the other night,” he said.

“There’s no doubt it (the speculation) has been a distraction, which is natural, but we sat down on Sunday and Monday and went through what his strengths are.

“When he plays to those strengths then he’s very hard to cope with and I think you saw that the other night. He was outstanding, he scored a goal, created opportunities for others and was very, very good.

“So between now and the end of the season it’s important that focus is there and I’m sure it will be.”

Rodgers believes Edouard, the 20-year-old Paris Saint-Germain loan player who opened the scoring against Craig Levein’s side with a fine individual goal, is also poised to come good.

He added: “Odsonne doesn’t have people behind him trying to piece together a load of propaganda about how good he is and how he’s linked to other clubs. People can just just pick up on the fact he’s a good young player and whose gone into international football and broke all types of records.

“He’s been brought in here because I think he can go into the team and play at any time. He probably should have had three goals the other night. So he’s an exceptional talent. I’ve never had any doubt about him.”

Rodgers added: “It was difficult for him when he first came in, but he played in a role just off the side the other night.

“He can do that because we’ve worked on it in training and we’ve seen how clever and bright he is, how fast he is.

“He’s got goals in him, his first goal the other night was absolutely brilliant, running at that speed to then lift it with that power, it was an outstanding finish.

“He’s disappointed he didn’t score his one on one and there was another one that came back to him. But his talent is there and what’s pleasing for me is the graft he puts in.”

Rodgers has signed Marvin Compper, Jack Hendry and Lewis Morgan, who was loaned back to St Mirren for the remainder of the season, during the January transfer window.

He also brought in back-up goalkeeper Scott Bain from Dundee and Charly Musonda from Chelsea on loan until the end of the 2017/18 campaign.

The Northern Irishman admitted the Celtic squad had been lifted by the new arrivals, not least Belgian playmaker Musonda, in training.

“There’s been a different feel the last couple of days,” he said. “The real slog of games over the course of the December period but I think now you feel that energy.

“You sense when you bring in good players you get the lift. Charly obviously you sense the changing room and everything about training, obviously the lift it gave the supporters when he comes on. It’s really vibrant.”