Former Inverness Caledonian Thistle manager John Hughes has praised Celtic’s Ryan Christie for his adaptability in midfield, but feels the player is best suited to a number 10 role.
Christie has seen a sustained run in the first team in the absence of Scott Brown and Olivier Ntcham, and signed a new long-term contract with the Hoops this week that will keep him at the club until 2022.
Hughes worked with Christie while the two were at Inverness and the player's former manager revealed his delight after watching the 23-year old flourish in the Celtic midfield.
The former Inverness manager feels Christie’s best position is as a number 10 and admitted that the Scottish international might have a problem when Brown and Ntcham return to the first team fold.
“He's shown over the last couple of months how adaptable he is in terms of positions he can play – he can play in that central midfield role, but I think his natural position is a number 10", he told BBC Scotland.
"His problem with Celtic is that he is that, when Brown and Ntcham come back, they will start and Rogic is the number 10, but it's great to see him flourish.
"I saw him once at Inverness and he was in the team for the rest of my tenure.
“All I needed to do was give him the opportunity and he just grasped it and it came to the stage you couldn't leave him out the team”, Hughes added.
Christie has managed eight appearances for Celtic in the Scottish Premiership so far this season and has started in the last three games for the Hoops.
Celtic’s 0-0 draw against Livingston on Sunday saw them move to the top of the Scottish Premiership table ahead of the international break.
