The former Celtic midfielder Paul Lambert has hailed recent new signing Matt O'Riley and believes the £1.5 million capture from MK Dons has what it takes to go to the top level of the game.

Lambert knows a midfield technician when he sees one and he revealed that the beauty of O'Riley's game is his unerring ability to perform mundane tasks outstandingly well.

The former Scotland international honed his craft with Borussia Dortmund and won the Champions League with Ottmar Hitzfeld's star-studded side in 1996/97.

The ex-Scotland was also part of Martin O'Neill's Celtic team that were runners-up in the UEFA Cup final in 2003 when they lost 3-2 to Jose Mourinho's Porto.

So when Lambert singles out O'Riley, you listen, and listen hard.

He said: "Matt O'Riley from MK Dons looks really good. He plays the simple passes brilliantly.

"I am talking about the short passes that nobody wants to play but O'Riley makes them look very easy.

"He is terrific at playing one and two touch football and he possesses great vision.

"He looks as though he could be a top player."

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Meanwhile, Lambert has described the arrival of the Japanese contingent in Glasgow's East End as a managerial masterstroke by Ange Postecoglou.

Kyogo Furuhashi, Reo Hatate, Daizen Maeda and Yosuke Ideguchi have been welcomed to the Celtic first-team fold with open arms.

Lambert insists that Ange's extensive knowledge of the J-League in Japan has helped create a harmonious dressing room.

The 52-year-old has also been greatly impressed with the way former Manchester City and England No.1 Joe Hart has gone about his business since he arrived north of the border.

Lambert said: "The masterstroke has been the arrival of the Japanese players.

"I am not talking about on the pitch but off the field too.

"The Japanese lads seem to have grasped what it means to play for Celtic straight away and that is not easy.

"They look to me like they are playing with real freedom because everything is so new and everybody has taken to them straight away.

"The Japanese players give teams everything they've got and there is a real work ethic about them.

"Even though I don't know them personally they all look as though they have got good characters which can only be brilliant for Celtic moving forward.

"You have to hand it to Ange as he has brought the Japanese lads to Celtic because of his knowledge of the J-League and that is a managerial masterstroke.

"Joe Hart has also been a great signing too as he has given the team solidity and steadiness at the back."