Giorgios Giakoumakis Q&A: Celtic striker's best mates, nickname, Natasa Theodoridou, wearing No 7 shirt and who the DJ is

Giorgios Giakoumakis has lifted the lid on how important a role countryman Vasilis Barkas played in his decision to join Celtic.

The Greek striker called his friend and current Celtic goalkeeper when the club became interest in him last summer, as well as taking counsel from former Parkhead striker Georgios Samaras, as he weighed up whether to move from VVV Venlo in the Netherlands.

Giakoumakis scored a hat-trick for Celtic at the weekend against Dundee and is becoming a firm favourite with Celtic’s fans.

In a Q&A on Twitter via the club’s main account, Giakoumakis explained the role of his compatriots in his move to Celtic.

“I called Barkas, we were teammates in Athens, and I also called Samaras,” said Giakoumakis. “Samaras and Barkas explained how big the club is and how great the fans are. The decision was already easy for me but they had great words to say.”

Giakoumakis was also asked who is best friend is at Celtic and what his nickname is, with the response: “Barkas is my best friend here because we played together before so we knew each other. Jota, Cameron [Carter-Vickers] and [Carl] Starfelt I’m also very close with. As for a nickname, my teammates call me Giako.”

In terms of music, Giakoumakis revealed that his favourite artist is Natasa Theodoridou, a singer from his homeland. He doesn’t control the tunes in the dressing-room though. “Our "DJ" in the dressing room is our physio [Tim Williamson],” he said. “He’s great and we really enjoy his music selection!”

Giakoumakis was handed the No 7 shirt when he arrived, worn by club legend Henrik Larsson, and he admitted he is aware of the significance of the shirt.

“I was aware of the significance and the pressure involved,” he continued. “It’s a big challenge for me