Tassos Venetis knew from the beginning Celtic’s Giorgos Giakoumakis was going to muscle his method to the very prime.
He's simply delighted issues are understanding for him within the Hoops after he had his personal Greek tragedy at AEK Athens.
Giakoumakis scored a brace on Monday to dump Dundee United out of the Scottish Cup and to take his spectacular run because the finish of January to seven targets and 9 in complete for the Premiership leaders.
That spectacular run has been rewarded with a global recall by new Greek boss Gus Poyet for this month’s video games in Romania and Montenegro.
Venetis stated: “I'm delighted to see Giakoumakis achieve this effectively at Celtic. A number of what he has been doing has been everywhere in the sports activities channels and on the web in Greece.
“It's like Giakoumakis is again once more. It's nice to see.
“Giakoumakis is completely fitted to Scottish soccer as a result of he is an efficient striker. He's additionally large, sturdy and bodily.
“He has scored numerous targets for Celtic since he bought over his accidents and I consider he shall be a really large participant for them.
“He's a goalscorer and a matchwinner and he might be the form of participant that helps a membership like Celtic win titles and trophies.
“I actually consider on this boy that he could make the distinction. He's again within the Greek nationwide workforce as effectively so that could be a mark of how effectively he's doing.”
Venetis performed towards Giakoumakis as one in all Greece’s prime younger skills though his speedy rise was curtailed when his dream transfer to AEK Athens in 2017 became a nightmare.
The previous Dundee United and Ross County participant believes Giakoumakis deserves monumental credit score for the way in which he has bought his profession again on observe, first with VVV-Venlo in Holland and now kicking on once more below Ange Postecoglou at Celtic.
Venetis, who has lately stepped down as sporting director at AOK Kerkyra, stated: “When AEK purchased him I assumed he would make a extremely large affect.
“He had a nasty damage that left him on the sidelines for a very long time. After that he by no means actually bought an opportunity or a lot sport time at AEK. I don’t know what occurred behind the scenes however I'm not positive how a lot AEK Athens helped him as a result of it was an enormous leap going from Platanias to there.
“They didn’t assist him to adapt and to modify to a big-club mentality.
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“I used to be sure he was going to be an enormous star however he didn’t get a lot of a possibility. It ended up not being the suitable membership for him.
“AEK are an enormous membership who want outcomes they usually want them now.
“Giakoumakis didn’t actually get his likelihood and he had a few loans earlier than he was bought to VVV-Venlo. It was in Holland the place his profession has actually come to life once more when he scored 20-odd targets.”
Venetis remembered enjoying towards Giakoumakis when he was a gifted teenager coming by at Platanias when he was an skilled defender.
It was no shock to see even then a younger Giakoumakis managed to muscle by and are available out on prime.
Venetis stated: “I bear in mind he was a really sturdy striker and he cherished to battle with defenders for the ball.
“He was very sturdy for his age, as sturdy as essentially the most skilled gamers. He had numerous confidence however he might additionally rating targets.
“We performed towards him a few occasions and he scored on each events.
“He was a relentless risk. He additionally had good motion and was respectable within the air.
“He was seen as top-of-the-line younger gamers in Greece and that was why AEK Athens purchased him.”
The Celtic star will now be trying to make his mark with Greece. He already has six caps however will need to be an enormous half in Poyet’s plans.
And Venetis added: “Greece have numerous good strikers. Giakoumakis is an efficient participant and has numerous qualities.
“Vangelis Pavlidis at AZ Alkmaar is the primary striker simply now however there is no such thing as a motive why Giakoumakis can’t play alongside him or off him.
“I believe they might make partnership
“Now he's enjoying usually for Celtic, he'll solely develop in confidence and get higher and higher. The emergence of the actual Giakoumakis at Celtic will present the brand new Greek coach with a pleasing downside.”