'Humble' Robbie Keane just one of the boys, says Tony Mowbray

PARADED as some kind of deity before his football apostles last week, as Robbie Keane makes his home debut against Hearts tonight he will again be precariously perched on a Parkhead pedestal.

But, while his manager and team-mates admit he is a special talent, they have refuted any notion of the striker being a one-man maker of miracles.

"He's a humble boy. Sometimes footballers can be built up into something but he's just a lad walking into a dressing room," said Tony Mowbray of his January acquisition. "He doesn't walk in with a halo over his head. If some of the fans think he does, that's fine. His reputation has grown from his talent on the field. You don't get a reputation just by being there. You get one by being consistently good over the years and that's what Robbie has done.

"But the reality of it is he walks in the dressing room as a normal guy, takes his gear off, gets his kit on and goes for a cup of tea with the rest of the team and has a chat. Then he goes out and trains, just like the rest of them. The benefits for us are his experience and his encouraging words to the players and that might lift one or two individuals. That might be an inspiration for them."

A fans' favourite from the second he signed, it was the idea of running out in front of a the Celtic supporters at Celtic Park which appealed to the Republic of Ireland striker but Mowbray is keen to ensure the focus is still firmly on a team performance. A side of talented individuals could not stave off defeat at Rugby Park last weekend, leaving them ten points adrift of their Old Firm rivals and a more cohesive team performance will be required tonight against a team which has won two of the three head- to-heads already this term.

"We are just going out as a team to try and win a football match like we have done over the last few weeks," said the Celtic manager. "We need to find consistency of wins now and hopefully Robbie will play his part in that. Regarding his own personal situation, I'm sure he is looking forward to the experience of playing at Celtic Park and the support he will get from the fans of the club. I think supporters want to see talented players, individuals who excite them and get them off their seats and I think Robbie fits the bill. Hopefully it all comes together."

The on-loan Tottenham striker was left on the bench for the beginning of the Scottish Cup match against Dunfermline but his second-half contribution was notable long before he netted his 68th-minute penalty, leaving Mowbray with choices to make regarding team selection. With Scott Brown back from injury and a glut of attacking players to accommodate different formations up front, he says he does not have a first-choice starting XI, preferring to mould selections depending on the opposition, as well as the form and confidence of the available personnel.

"The window didn't totally work for us because we have lots of competition in midfield and up front but we do still probably need to add defensively to ensure concentration levels among players with the jerseys remain as high as possible," said Mowbray. "But you don't need to have a starting XI that you think is your best team. I don't know who does. I watched Chelsea v Arsenal. Is Joe Cole playing? Essien? Obi Mikel? Without making comparisons, Manchester United do the same. Who are the favoured wide players? Park? Valencia? I intend to play players when it's right for certain players to play."

The pressure on him to make the correct decisions, though, is massive. The gap between themselves and Rangers is too big to permit anything else, while the threat of Hibs capitalising on any further slip-ups and leapfrogging them into second place remains real.

But the onus is also on the players. Individual errors have been costly, with centre-back Glenn Loovens one of those culpable in previous meetings with Hearts this season. He said it is not as simple as saying that one more loss would render the title unobtainable but he did concede that it wouldn't make things any easier.

"At a club like Celtic there is always pressure to play well and you have to win leagues and it's definitely easier if you are on the pitch when you are ten points in front but that is something we have to deal with."

With injuries to Andreas Hinkel (thigh), Jos Hooiveld (hamstring) and Darren O'Dea (hamstring), Loovens, who has been much maligned this term, is likely to start alongside young Josh Thompson.

A subdued atmosphere has prevailed at Parkhead on match days in recent months but he hopes the arrival of Keane will prove a catalyst. "When I signed there was maybe one person," he joked.

"But he has that affect on people and he is a great player and it's good to have great players in your team. He has a great affect on the crowd and we have to make sure we use that energy and give a good performance. It's good to have him around but we don't depend on one player. If we fail, it's as a team. That's it."