Today, Celtic’s Greek Bhoy Came Through In A Big, Big Way

Well was it worth the wait? If you were basing it on the importance of the goals, it would be hard to argue that Giorgios Giakoumakis picked the perfect day in which to show up for, and do, the business.

The first “perfect” hat-trick from a Celtic player that I can remember since Moussa Dembele scored one against the Ibrox club in Rodgers’ first season wasn’t just about three points; it was, as Michael Stewart said, effectively his “arrival” as a big, big player.

I’ve been singing his praises for a while now; his game has clearly been developing as he’s settled into what Ange wanted him to do. His season as the top scorer in the Dutch league marked him out as a natural finisher and I was amazed that so many wrote him off, so early, as being some kind of flop. It was obvious that this guy would do a job for us.

He has suffered from being injured. He suffered from being second string to an outstanding player in Kyogo. He suffered because at Celtic no player gets a settling in period where the media is concerned; they are forever looking for him to fail. The appalling thing is how many Celts in the media were so quick to jump to negative conclusions.

But as the weeks have gone by he has grown into the job he’s been given and even the signing of Maeda, which people assumed would seem him relegated to third pick, has not worked out that way at all. I said before the Ibrox club came to town that we would enjoy watching him that night; he wasn’t amongst the scorers but I thought he scared the living daylights out of their backline and had a storming game … and he’s grown in stature since.

He gives us something none of the other strikers does; he is physically imposing and commanding in the box. He uses his strength brilliantly. More importantly, although a lot of people were giving him a hard time for missing chances anyone who understands the game knows that for a striker the key thing is getting in those positions in the first place.

Feed one of those players enough and he will score goals. Lots of them. A good striker will miss chances but as long as he keeps getting into positon for them coaches will select them and they will be correct to do it. He is an absolute natural as his goals today showed.

Today was a critical moment in the title race and not only because they dropped points and we were good enough to capitalise on them. It is now clear that we have a player, in Giakoumakis, who scares defences and knows where the net is. Those who were quick to dismiss Celtic as a lesser team without Kyogo upfront now have two causes to pause and think again; Maeda already looks like someone worth the money and the big Greek is starting to look like the kind of footballer who we’ve been short of for a long, long time.

A hat-trick can make a striker. A perfect hat-trick is a rare and beautiful thing. One of such importance is worth more than just points. It is a statement. It says that this is a footballer worthy of respect from the opposition … and even fear.

What a squad we are developing here, and this guy is now a big, big player in it. That today was the game he’s been due, the game where he showed us the player we paid millions of pounds for and who, in Holland last season, was a sensation.

It’s a huge moment for him and for us. The big man has “arrived” at last and he is only going to get better. There are a lot more big performances – and goals – to come from him.