Ex-Celtic striker Chris Sutton has raised some major concerns about Odsonne Edouard’s development. The Frenchman has struggled for form this campaign and despite claiming that the 22-year-old is the best player in Scotland “by some stretch,” Sutton believes his performances in recent months have not been up to standard:

“Edouard built a terrific reputation at Celtic in recent years as a player who does the job week in, week out, whether it’s in Europe or on the league. There has been a progression for him but you can’t get away from the fact this year has been a regression. He has to maintain his reputation by upping his levels and producing the goods over the coming weeks and months.”

The lack of consistency Sutton mentions could well be due to a lack of focus. Hoops boss Neil Lennon admitted yesterday that the France Under 21 international has had his head turned by speculation about his future.

However, if Edouard wants Premier League clubs, like Arsenal, to come calling in the future, he first must demonstrate his abilities in a Celtic shirt by helping them secure a tenth straight league title.

Despite scoring for his country during the international break, the forward is on the bench for today’s game against Hibs so he will have to make an impact as a substitute if he is given his opportunity by Lennon.