Towell relives his cameo

Irish youngster Richie Towell believes he has already gone some way to winning over the Celtic fans.

Now he is determined to impress Hoops boss Neil Lennon after making his competitive debut at the weekend. The 19-year-old was thrown into the action against Inverness on Saturday with around 20 minutes to go.

He said: "It was brilliant hearing the crowd's reaction and being in the middle of it all. It's what I've always dreamed of.

"It's been frustrating sitting on the bench all season and that's why I was so delighted to come on. I just want to show that I can compete at this level and hopefully the gaffer will give me another chance because I don't like sitting on the bench - I want to play every week.

"I thought the fans reacted well to me and I was pleased with how I did when I came on. I kept the ball and then I won the tackle for Paddy's (McCourt] goal so they were all cheering for that."

Meanwhile, James Forrest is almost ready to return to training after recovering from an ankle injury.