'People forget': Celtic's £5m man opens up on challenges, why squad number changed and 'strange' decision

Trailing 2-0 to Kilmarnock back in mid-February, Tounekti scored a magnificent curling effort from range to spark a 3-2 comeback in Ayrshire. It was a result that kept their title hopes alive.

Tounekti and Celtic return to Rugby Park on Sunday afternoon - albeit on a new grass pitch rather than the old synthetic one - and will hope for a far more serene occasion.

That win over Kilmarnock encapsulated Celtic’s season. They faced major strife but somehow managed to get the Premiership title over the line, taking it right to the wire. It was quite the baptism of Scottish football fire for Tounekti, who joined Celtic last September for a fee of £5 million.

The tricky Tunisian didn’t hit top gear in his first campaign and admits he found life difficult at times. But with the past season under his belt, the 24-year-old is ready to show Celtic fans what he is all about.

“Maybe people forget that you don't really know what kind of club you're coming to,” said Tounekti. “Of course, you know the history and how massive the club is. But you have to be here and feel it to really know the size of the club and the expectations.

“For me, last season was a lot of ups and downs. I got the feeling of the club and the meaning of the club. I'm really positive for the season now and confident I have learned a lot and will do well this season.”

Why Tounekti chose Celtic’s No 17

Football players are full of superstition and Tounekti feels buoyed by having the familiar No 17 on his back again. "I asked for No 17 last season as well but they had held it for [Kelechi] Iheanacho,” he explained. “He came two days after me.

“I wanted the number because it was one of my first numbers as a professional player. I try to have it at new clubs but, if it's taken, I can do nothing about it. I saw he was not coming back so I asked Shaun [Maloney] and Fozzy [Mark Fotheringham] and the gaffer if it was possible to have the 17. They said it was no issue at all. I prefer that one.”

He did not have that number fort Tunisia during the summer’s World Cup, which didn’t go according to plan for the African nation. They sacked head coach Sabri Lamouchi after a heavy opening defeat by Sweden, with Herve Renard parachuted in for the next two matches. That didn’t work either. Tunisia finished bottom of their group with no points, soundly overcome by the Swedes, Netherlands and Japan.

“It was a great experience,” said Tounekti of the finals. “The results were not the best but the experience was really nice. I got some weeks off after the World Cup and that was nice, too.

“Changing manager was quite strange. All of the players in the squad agreed on it. We were not so happy and it was strange. We had to make the most of it and try to get a result in the two other games, but we didn't manage that.

“You want to play in these tournaments and it's a long time till the next World Cup. I can't think about that. You want to be involved and I'd love to be involved again if possible.”

For now, though, it’s all about Celtic - and proving that he can produce more moments like his crowning one at Rugby Park six months ago.