Sebastian Tounekti’s best form this season has come under Martin O’Neill, and his last two appearances have offered something tangible. Not hype. Not promise. Actual impact.
Signed in the summer from Hammarby IF for £5.2 million, Tounekti arrived with a decent reputation. He had already won two league titles with Bodø/Glimt in Norway and looked like a wide player with sharp feet and direct intent.
His early weeks at Celtic hinted at that. He opened his account against Partick Thistle in the League Cup quarter-final, and there was a freshness to his play.
Then it stalled.
Confidence drained quickly. He stopped taking his man on. Possession was lost cheaply. Attacks broke down at his feet. The spark dulled.
When Brendan Rodgers exited and Martin O’Neill stepped in on an interim basis, Tounekti responded. He scored as Celtic beat Falkirk 4-0 at Celtic Park and looked freer in his play.
But it never quite settled into a run. Supporters saw flashes, nothing more.
Wilfried Nancy’s ill-fated spell did not help anyone (apologies for that reminder). Few in the squad came through that period with credit and Tounekti was no different. The system looked alien to him. His strengths were buried.
Now O’Neill is back in the dugout and Tounekti is back involved.
It looked like Celtic were heading out of the Scottish Cup against Dundee. They were trailing, and time was running away. O’Neill threw Tounekti on with 20 minutes left, and the tempo changed.
He drove to the byline and squared brilliantly for Junior Adamu, who back-heeled home to force extra time. It was sharp, aggressive wing play. No hesitation.
Two minutes into extra time, he went again. A quick one-two with Luke McCowan, a bursting run into the box, and a clean finish beyond the goalkeeper. Celtic were ahead. The tie flipped.
He carried that into the next match.
In stoppage time against Livingston, Tounekti delivered again, setting up Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain for a 91st-minute winner. Big moments. Decisive contributions.
There is clearly an ability there. You can see it in the direct running and the willingness to commit defenders.
More importantly, you can see confidence.
A winger in a title race has to play on instinct. Tounekti is starting to do that again. If this is the start of a proper run, Celtic might finally be seeing why they put £5.2 million down on him in the first place.
His contribution will prove vital with so many important games coming up. His output must match his potential if he’s going to have a say on where the league title is headed come the end of the season.
