Giorgos Giakoumakis and the 'creative' Celtic transfer approach that led him to Parkhead

Celtic striker Giorgos Giakoumakis could have gone into his shell and crumbled under the pressure.

After an inconspicuous start to his Celtic career, the Greek striker’s late missed penalty against Livingston in October cost his side more Premiership points.

And at that point lesser men might have hid.

But Ange Postecoglou knew from the minute he met Giakoumakis that he was made of sterner stuff.

When the Hoops gaffer signed him from lowly Dutch club VVV Venlo last summer, no one in Glasgow’s east end had heard of him.

And despite topping the scoring charts, Postecoglou admits he was taking a punt on a 26-year-old who had previously been shipped out by AEK Athens.

Fast forward five months from his spot-kick howler against Livi and Giakoumakis is now a fans’ favourite.

He’s the penalty-box poacher they’ve craved and after netting a hat-trick against Ross County last week, Hoops gaffer Postecoglou appears to be getting the best out of him.

That resulted in a recall to the Greece national squad after impressing boss Gus Poyet.

Postecoglou has revealed why he opted to chase Giakoumakis in the summer.

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And he has praised the frontman’s mentality in bouncing back from an early Parkhead setback.

He said: