Dedryck Boyata is the latest player to sing the praises of Kolo Toure.
The defender has come in from the cold for the last two matches and looked unrecognisable from last season’s flop.
In appearance Boyata looks bolder and taller despite spending the first half of the season firmly hidden away from Brendan Rodgers plans.
Toure’s playing days at Celtic appear to be in the past but as soon as he arrived at the club he played a big role in getting through the Champions League qualifiers.
His display away to Hapoel Beer Sheva set the standard for others to aspire to with Boyata paying tribute to the role that his former Manchester City team-mate has had on his own revival.
“I don’t really need anyone but on Wednesday night when I scored people came up to me and told me that I deserved it because they have seen me working hard,” the defender told the Evening Times.
“We have a very good team, a good group. The spirit is very good. When you are down you always have players who try to rally around you, players like Kolo.
“Kolo is a very good person, a very important person in my life. Maybe you don’t know, but when I was at City he was the one who took care of me. I have played games with him before. When I was down he was always telling me ‘don’t worry, you’ve just got to wait for your chance, when it comes just take it’. So that was what I did.”
Boyata added: “The relationship I have with Kolo has been deep for a long time. When he came in I was the first one to hug him. You need this kind of person around you just to remind you that it is not finished.
“The good thing about Kolo is he is a person with a very good spirit. He doesn’t like to lose. Any player will tell you if Kolo loses in training it is a very bad day for everybody but then you have the manager who has helped me a lot, especially on the points he has spoken to me about. I can see the difference.”
After his match winning display against St Johnstone Boyata seems certain to hold his place for Sunday’s match against Hearts as Rodgers turns around another Celtic career.