Former Celtic midfielder Stiliyan Petrov has shared the encouraging advice he gave to Luke McCowan following his summer move to the Hoops.

McCowan, a lifelong Celtic fan, joined the club on deadline day and has quickly impressed with his performances, making four appearances this season, including a debut in the Glasgow Derby clash against Rangers.

In an interview with The Sunday Post, Petrov expressed his excitement about McCowan’s early impact, noting the player’s evident happiness and contribution on the field. Petrov, who met McCowan recently, urged the 26-year-old to savour the experience and remain composed as he integrates into Brendan Rodgers’ squad.

“Luke just seems to smile every single minute. We can all see how happy he is to be playing for Celtic.

“He has made significant contributions on the park and has already scored for Celtic. He is heading in the right direction.

“I had the pleasure of meeting him a few weeks ago and he was buzzing. I told him to enjoy these special times and to relax.

“He has wonderful ability and he will be an asset to the team this season, for sure. It must be great for Brendan to have so many good options.”

McCowan’s solid performances have already endeared him to the Celtic fans, who are eager to see him start more regularly as the season progresses.

He came to Celtic from Dundee, where he was scoring and assisting regularly from midfield, captaining Tony Docherty’s side.

If he keeps performing like he is from the bench, he’s bound to get a chance from the start soon. He’s scored one goal in his 67 minutes [Transfermarkt] on the pitch for Celtic, but it’s his calmness and composure from the bench that’s impressed.

Coming on against Ross County, with the Hoops chasing the game, McCowan calmed things down and played some really nice football.