Barry Ferguson says it’s only a matter of time until Odsonne Edouard is in the France first-team squad.

The Celtic striker has been in blistering form for the under-21s with nine goals from just four games.

Three consecutive braces were outdone last night when he smashed in a hat-trick against Slovakia in the kids’ Euro 2021 qualifiers.

Rangers hero Ferguson - who himself earned 45 caps for Scotland’s A-team - believes that’s the sort of form that will land him a call-up to Didier Deschamps’ World Cup winners.

He said on PLZ Soccer: “He's a player that could potentially be better than Dembele.

“I’ve said that a number of times now.

“I've always been impressed. When he’s on his game I think he’s unstoppable at times.

“He obviously continues it when he goes away with the French under-21 squad and, if he keeps producing performances like that, he will be in the first-team squad.”