As Tom Rogic made his way into a thronging melee of ecstatic Celtic supporters in the south-east corner of Hampden Park to take their acclaim after netting an injury-time winner in the Scottish Cup final, he could have been forgiven if the thought entered his head; ‘how do I top this?’

And while he stood there in a daze as a whirlwind of green and white enveloped him, he may also have been pondering the journey that brought him to that point.

From beating off global competition to join the Nike Academy as an 18-year-old, his unconventional career-path took him to Central Coast Mariners before joining Celtic in the winter of 2013.

Read more: Celtic's invincible season down to being the most dedicated team, says Scott BrownGlasgow Times: Glory goal: Tom Rogic rushes towards the Celtic support after his late winner against Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup final.

But after earning his move to the big-time in European football, it is easy to forget that it was not all plain sailing for the prodigiously gifted Australian when he first arrived in Scotland.

In fact, he was farmed back to his homeland on loan to Melbourne Victory barely a year after arriving on these shores.

There, a theme which has dogged his short career so far became prevalent, as he picked up a series of injuries, most notably to his groin and his ankle. Indeed, as recently as December, he faced months out of action after injuring his ankle again, and finally underwent surgery to resolve the issue.

Coming through all of this though, he has emerged to write his name in Celtic’s history books as the man who clinched an unbeaten season and a domestic treble with his last-gasp heroics at the national stadium.

Inevitably, speculation over a move away from Celtic has soon followed, and if anything concrete does materialise by way of an offer for his services, he may well revisit that question of how he tops what he did at Hampden while still in the Scottish game.

But if there is a decision to be made over his future, a former Celtic youth player and a current international teammate of Rogic’s has warned him that the grass isn’t always greener among the lure of the riches on offer in the English Premier League.

Jackson Irvine, the former Ross County midfielder who helped Burton Albion to Championship safety this season, reckons that the only way that Rogic could trump the experience of being at Celtic is by going to one of the top four clubs in England.

And he has warned his friend that unless he reaches the very top of the English Premier League tree, he will be taking a step down from the Scottish champions.

Irvine said: “Some people disrespect and under-estimate the size of the club he is with now.

Read more: Celtic's invincible season down to being the most dedicated team, says Scott Brown

“I have been a part of that club and played in Scottish football for a long time, and I know how big Celtic are.

“All a lot of people seem to be talking about after Tom’s magic moment is where is he going to go next? But he’s already at one of the biggest clubs in the world, and he’s playing in the Champions League and winning trophies and doing special things.

“Yet people can’t wait to talk about where he’s going to go next.

“Anybody who knows the history and understands what it means to play for a club like Celtic would understand that there’s no disrespect and in having a long and glittering career at a club like that.

“Unless you go to the Premier League and play with a top four or five teams, European football is going to be something that is hard to come by.

“His goal against Aberdeen was brilliant and it was a delight to see, especially after he’s had a tough time with injures. He will go down in history at a club that’s all about tradition and record breakers.

“I am sure Tom has big ambitions for himself as Australian football has for him, but I’d like to see the level he’s at now get paid a little bit more respect than it currently does.

“You look at somebody like Henrik Larsson who spent most of his career at Celtic winning trophies. Some people say he under achieved but I don’t see that at all, especially when you look at the club he went on to, Barcelona.

“Remember at Celtic you are playing in front of 60,000 people in every home match. It’s a special club.”

A major factor in Rogic’s thinking over his future may well be the esteem that he is held in by his current manager, with Brendan Rodgers famously dubbing him ‘The Magic Man’.

Read more: Celtic's invincible season down to being the most dedicated team, says Scott Brown

And as if his stock couldn’t get any higher at present, it is not only his boss at club level who is singing the praises of the skilful 24-year-old. His national coach, Ange Postecoglou, has hailed Rogic as the benchmark for the rest of his Socceroos squad to aspire to.

He has been named in his country’s squad for next Thursday’s World Cup qualifier against Saudi Arabia, as well as the glamour friendly against Brazil on June 13th and the Confederations Cup clashes with Germany, Cameroon and Chile later in the month.

And Postecoglou says that both he and former St Mirren man Aaron Mooy, who helped Huddersfield win promotion to the Premier League through the playoffs on Monday, have set a standard for their fellow countrymen to follow.

He said: "If we want to be a big nation in world football then we need our players playing in the big leagues.

"And our measure should be what we have seen this week: Aaron Mooy has got his team to the Premier League and been the outstanding player at his club. Tommy Rogic has won the Scottish Cup at a big club like Celtic.

"We have to make sure we set our standards high. We want guys playing in the top leagues, that's got to be our measure. Guys who have made an impact, that's our measure.”

And with his treble-clinching goal, by any measure, Rogic has certainly made a lasting and unforgettable impact on the history of Celtic - wherever his future may lie.