Seb Tounekti insists he’s evolved into a have-a-go hero after being scared to pull the trigger in his early days.
The winger’s spectacular long-range strike at Rugby Park last Sunday sparked an extraordinary comeback from two goals down which saw Julian Araujo net a 97th-minute winner for Celtic.
Tunisian international Tounekti, who joined from Swedish side Hammarby last summer, credits the encouragement given by Martin O’Neill and his backroom staff as the main factor in his transformation.
‘I feel like everyone has helped me a lot. The manager has also been giving me some great advice,’ he said.
‘I think the main thing for me was to find confidence. I feel like he’s given me the freedom to let me be the player I am and also to add on the extra thing in the last third.
Seb Tounekti sparked Celtic’s comeback in the 3-2 victory over Kilmarnock
Tounekti scored the winning goal in the dramatic Scottish Cup win over Dundee
‘He said that he just wants me to beat players, and as a winger who likes to dribble and to do that, it’s perfect. I just felt from the first day that I was really excited to work under him. I just try to take it step by step and try to catch up everything I can.
‘I think when I was a young player, I always trained for those situations.. But maybe I haven’t, in the games, had so many shots I really want.
‘But I think now when you have the confidence and you feel the backing behind you, you have the confidence to do stuff like that. I know that I have a right foot that works and I can use. So hopefully I will start to use it more often because I want to help the team to win games.’
Tounekti caught the eye after initially moving to Glasgow from Sweden only for his form to dip.
Having made telling impacts from the bench against both Dundee – when he netted the winner – and Kilmarnock, the 23-year-old is now determined to show he’s a 90-minute man.
‘I helped the team for a couple of weeks and I feel like it’s my job to do that,’ he added.
Tounekti says Celtic boss O’Neill has given him the belief to express himself
‘They bought me to score goals and to make assists and to help Celtic to win games.
‘It’s now about making the performance over the whole game. So, as a player, I think it’s the next step now to make that.
‘I try to stay after training and to improve because I know that repetition will help. Then I know that it will show in the games also.
‘I’m feeling good at the moment. I want to stay on the flow, but I also want to improve.
“I want to get better, because I feel like I can get even better. So, for me, it’s just to stay humble and try to learn every day.
‘Hopefully, I can improve and help the team.’
