Four Celtic players to watch at the World Cup
Celtic have enjoyed yet another hugely successful season in Scotland, rallying to a seventh consecutive Scottish Premiership title under the guidance of Northern Irish boss Brendan Rodgers, the 49th crown in the club's illustrious history.
Meanwhile, the Hoops will also aim to secure a Scottish FA Cup triumph when they take on Motherwell at the famous Hampden Park in Glasgow on May 19th. That would see the Bhoys claim an impressive second successive cup coup under rejuvenated coach Rodgers as well.
But while the season comes to a conclusion for the Glasgow giants as a club, many of their players will have their sights set on a certain international tournament taking place this summer. Yes, the 2018 World Cup kicks off in June and there are a host of Bhoys representatives set to feature in the Russia-based competition.
So, ahead of the big kick-off on Russian territory, here are four important Celtic stars that will be out to perform gallantly in this summer's long-awaited World Cup finals.
Moussa Dembele (France)
Celtic have benefited massively from the mercurial attacking talents of admirable signing Moussa Dembele, who has racked up double figures for goals this past campaign in all competitions, including the Scottish Premiership and early in the Champions League group stage against French titans Paris St Germain.
Dembele's nation are regarded at a highly promising 6/5 with William Hill to reach the semi-final stage of the tournament this summer, after going all the way to the final of Euro 2016 two years in their own backyard. Will Dembele make it into the squad? It remains to be seen.
Tom Rogic (Australia)
Australia find themselves in a very testing group against all of Denmark, France and Peru when the arrive in Russia, but they will be confident of causing a few surprises on their travels.
Celtic playmaker Tom Rogic has become a star man within Rodgers' squad and is linked with a big-money move away from the club in the near future. Strong showings in Russia will likely boost his reputation further and even his price-tag, as the Aussies seek some success with him in their ranks.
Mikael Lustig (Sweden)
Sweden will be without all-time record goalscorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic for this tournament after he announced his retirement from international football.
But they boast several other star names that can fill the void and become integral aspects in Russia. In the heart of defence, Celtic centre-back Mikael Lustig could play a key role, having been part of the impressive squad that qualified ahead of the Netherlands.
Dedryck Boyata (Belgium)
Another defender next, and this time it's Belgium international Dedryck Boyata, who is currently plying his trade with the Bhoys after arriving from Manchester City.
Within a star-studded Belgium outfit, he is unlikely to get a huge amount of playing time, but he could still prove to be a warranted member of the Red Devils' roster, as they aim to live up to recent reputation and expectations by prevailing this summer.