Brendan Rodgers was full of praise for Ryan Christie, calling the in-form Celtic midfielder “a top-class operator” who “deserves credit for his talent and mentality”. The 23-year-old has been indispensable this season, scoring five goals in his last six Scottish Premiership games to help Celtic return to the summit.

As per The Scotsman, Rodgers said: “He’s played so many games and you do think there might be a point where you need to take him out. But he’s just enjoying it so much and deserves a huge amount of credit for his talent and mentality.

“In this run, he’s shown he is a top-class operator. He hasn’t just done it domestically in the league and finals, he’s also done it in Europe. Ryan was outstanding against a top-class Leipzig team and his Scotland appearances have added to his confidence.”

Christie struggled for playing time earlier in the campaign, being handed just league start by Rodgers up until late-October before becoming one of the first names on the teamsheet. For Scotland, He played in the national team’s last two Nations League games against Albania and Israel and made a total of three assists.

The former Inverness Caledonian Thistle midfielder is enjoying the best season of his career, contributing 10 goals in 20 games in all competitions for Celtic. He’s currently operating in the middle of the park but can also play in defensive-midfield, attacking-midfield and on the left flank.

Christie scored against Kilmarnock in Celtic’s 5-1 win over the weekend, helping Rodgers’ side go two points clear in first place with two games in hand on the runners-up. The midfielder has contributed to Celtic’s success and has turned his career around at Parkhead.

He returned from an 18-month loan at Aberdeen and wasn’t planning on being a regular in the starting lineup until his form forced Rodgers’ hand. Supporters will be hoping it continues for the remainder of the campaign.

Stats from Transfermarkt.