'Be a peacock': Alistair Johnston can see confidence flowing through Nicolas Kuhn

Celtic right-back Alistair Johnston can see Nicolas Kuhn benefit from bringing out the “peacock” in himself.

Kuhn has followed up an impressive pre-season with goals in each of Celtic’s first two Premiership matches and Johnston believes his team-mate is thriving from showing the personality and confidence to make himself a key player.

The January signing, who scored three goals for Celtic last season, also added an assist in Sunday’s 2-0 win over Hibernian from the right wing.

Johnston said: “He’s definitely more comfortable now in his role. He’s understanding, and he’s finding that confidence. We’re putting him in a better position to be the player that he is and to understand that we signed him for what he brings to the game. He’s not afraid to show that.

“You can see his directness and his confidence on the ball. He’s not just ‘touch and lending’ it. He’s now actually driving it, going at people.

“He’s a nightmare to defend because he can go inside, he can burn you on the outside and put it on to his right foot. So he poses some serious threats.

“I think he’s really now picking up on the winger cues in terms of getting in at the back post, reading those kind of moments. He’s really kicked on and I think that will be a big level that he’s going to show this entire year.

“Nic is actually a reasonably quiet person, but he likes to have a good laugh and he’s a good lad. He likes to be a part of it.

“It’s not a club where you can just be a small personality and expect to just go out and play 90 and then go back into the shadows.

“You’re in it when you’re up here. You’re in a fishbowl in Glasgow. So you’ve got to be ready for that.

“And again, every single guy that we’ve brought in, and even if they are quiet personalities like Nic for example, I think he’s learned over these past six months that he’s got to be a peacock a little bit – go out there, be confident.

“And when you do that, you’re going to play some good football and you’re going to be loved here.”

Johnston went off at Easter Road with tightness in his leg as he navigates his way through the opening weeks of the season, which started for him less than three weeks after his previous campaign ended at the Copa America.

The Canada international said: “It was short and sweet, the downtime. It was good in a way that I didn’t lose a ton of fitness, so my first week back wasn’t running like all the other guys. It was kind of right back into full training.

“But yeah, it hasn’t been easy in terms of just the mental and physical lack of a break, really getting away.

“But again, this management team, they’ve seen this before. It’s not their first time having players go away for international duty and coming back, so they’ve done a good job so far already of managing me and making sure that not only am I physically ready, but mentally as well.

“I think that they’re going to pace me and manage pretty well throughout especially these first couple of months.

“It’s not like we don’t have another right-back. We’ve got Tony Ralston, who is more than capable of being one of the best full-backs in this league. So we’re in a really good position in that way.”