IT’S only when suddenly you take football away from a professional footballer that they realise how much they love their job.

When fit, in form and playing every week, there are very few who don’t take it for granted. That’s understandable.

But then injury, form, life in general plays them the wrong card. And they are left with nothing, wondering whether they will ever get back to where they were. Not nice at all. Take it from a man who knows, if a footballer does find themselves in that position, every last one of them vows to themselves to be more appreciative, to be better, to be more enthusiastic when (if) they ger back.

And a player with something to prove is worth always watching.

Leigh Griffiths, bless him, missed last season – more or less. Nir Bitton hardly kick a ball. Ryan Christie enjoyed a good campaign but it took a couple of months before he got in the team and then it all ended prematurely at Hampden the day he was knocked unconscious.

All three now are fit, in a position to play and, to an extent, over what they went through. With this trio available, Neil Lennon without spending a penny has a much better Celtic squad than he did in May.

There is also Daniel Arzani, the exciting Australian international, who over the next few months will be fit again.

I haven’t seen Vakoun Bayo and Marian Shved kick a ball yet, the two January signings aren’t fit, and while I can’t say what either will bring, both of them come from decent leagues.

That’s six players, three proven and three new faces, who at this time last year weren’t in the picture – okay Griffiths was but even then things were not great.

Lennon said the other day that he will sign another three or four. Celtic need a right-back, and a couple are on the radar, I believe they will go for another striker, and if he can get a bit of quality which I'm sure we will, he has a strong squad there.

Bitton isn’t a centre-half. However, he was fantastic over both legs against FK Sarajevo, and he’d get away with it in Scotland to an extent, but the Israeli international. Still only 27, is a central midfielder and one who has shown himself to be a class act.

I’m sure we all wish Griffiths good health and happiness. If Lennon can get a season out of him, he is guaranteed goals and assists Christie was terrific when he played, one of the best in the country, so imagine what he could bring over ten months. All of this is not unimportant.

Celtic have bought in three players with three, at least still to come. However, what I find interesting is how the guys given a second chance will react.

Bitton, Griffiths and Christie all played their part in us getting through the first qualifier. They have experience, all three have won trophies and after being out for different reasons, are going to be desperate to remind everyone why they are at Celtic. For me, this is exciting and encouraging.

Christopher Jullien cost £7milion and he’s still to play a competitive game. The Frenchman was brought in to be our No.1 centre-half. The squad is stronger and yet the club are far from finished in the transfer market.

We played well against Sarajevo,. I enjoyed a lot of of our play and I’m sure that the Bosnians are a better team than Nomme Kulku of Estronia who we face next.

Celtic have a young and hungry squad. We are looking okay.

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THE history of Celtic is littered with full-backs you would watch all day bombing forward but your hands would cover the eyes whenever they were asked to defend.

I played with the greatest of them all, Danny McGrain, the best full-back in the world both in attack and at the back, but the great man was something of a one-off.

Boli Bolingoli has shown over two games to be comfortable on the ball, not short of skill, keen to help out down the wing, and he has a cross within him as well.

This is all good, great even, but a defender's primary job is to defend.

And so far, the £3m signing has made a few mistakes. But I'm not worried.

This is a young man trying desperately to impress, which means the temptation to attempt a spectacular pass out from the back, rather than a simple five-yard ball to a team-mate, is almost always too much to turn down.

It's called showing off. Young Bolingoli will calm down.

I have seen enough in the left-back to suggest Celtic have a player on their hands. He sold the goal against Sarajevo the other night but that happens. It was encouraging to hear him after the game talk about the need to tighten up the defensive side of his game. This will come.

We like to see the full-backs get forward. It's the Celtic way. But when it comes to Europe, and Sarajevo are hardly world beaters, teams only need a daft mistake at the back and they will score.

Celtic is a step up and he will need to find his feet. I like what I see. There is work to do but the lad is a footballer and one who likes to express himself.

He might not be Kieran Tierney but, hey, who is?