Kyogo and Reo Hatate's Celtic previous proves Japan coach is talking NONSENSE as they've levelled up under Ange

What is that Rabbie Burns line again, about wanting the gift from God to see ourselves as others see us? There’s no need for such a present from the Big Man when it comes to Scottish football.

There seems to be no end of other folk queuing up to tell us what they think about our game. Mind you, there’s plenty in our own parish who quite happily talk Scottish football down whenever they get the chance. It just stings a bit more when it comes from someone on the outside.

Now it’s Japan head coach Hajime Moriyasu dishing out the sniders. Not only has he snubbed – which is the official term when a player doesn’t get picked – Celtic pair Reo Hatate and Kyogo Furuhashi, but he says the reason they were not selected for this month's Kirin Cup – former winners Scotland, by the way – is because of concerns about the ‘level of league’.

Ouch. Hold on a wee minute Hajime. Daizen Maeda plays at the same level and it didn’t stop him scoring for you at the World Cup and making the latest squad. It sounds like Moriyasu is talking a fair bit of nonsense over this.

Okay, we know the Scottish Premiership isn’t exactly top drawer but he’s picked players who compete each week in the likes of Belgium and Switzerland. The Belgian league is one place above us in the UEFA standings and the Swiss are ranked four places lower.

We might not be great shakes but we’re still rated in the top 10 nations in the continent with two Champions League places. Which means Celtic will be one of them, no matter what happens in the next few weeks and months.

If Moriyasu is suggesting Hatate and Kyogo can’t really be judged by their displays against the likes of Kilmarnock, Motherwell and Ross County, then fine. You could argue the pressure of winning every week