Normally there could hardly be a less contentious reason for a leading footballer's public appearance than promoting his club's Easter Coaching Clinics but in the case of Celtic's Gary Mackay-Steven more than a few felt he should not have been available for the task at Lennoxtown yesterday.

For his own part the winger is unflustered by concerns raised over his omission and that of Stuart Armstrong, his fellow recent recruit from Dundee United for Scotland's meetings with Northern Ireland and Gibraltar this week, merely seeing them as flattering and providing additional incentive in the months to come.

"Anything like that would be an added bonus," he said.

"It was nice to hear people saying they would maybe put mine and Stuart's names in the frame, nice to be associated with Scotland, but first and foremost our thoughts were coming here to hit the ground running with Celtic and establish ourselves here.

"If anything it just gives me added motivation to just really work hard and be consistent and hopefully get in the Scotland squad in the future."

Mid-season switches can be problematic but not, it seems, in Mackay-Steven's case. Little more than half a minute of his Celtic debut had elapsed when he rattled in his opening goal for his new club, while he also registered the game's first goal on Saturday with an exceptional strike when up against his old mates for the first time and he credits the environment at Lennoxtown and Celtic Park.

"I like to think I have (adjusted well)," he said.

"That's credit to everyone here for making me feel so welcome. The boys have been great from the first training session.

"They've welcomed both me and Stuart with open arms and it was nice to get the confidence boost when the manager put us in the starting eleven for the game away to Partick to start with.

"I just wanted to hit the ground running and obviously I wasn't expecting to score within whatever it was, but it was great to do that and settle some nerves."

Mackay-Steven also welcomed the way Ronny Deila recognised that the timing of Celtic's series of four successive meetings with United - for which he and Armstrong were cup tied until the last one - offered a chance recoup after expending much emotional energy.

"I met some family and my girlfriend down in London so it was just good to catch up, nice to get away," he said.

"We didn't really speak about football or anything like that and we did a little bit of shopping and caught a show and stuff, so we managed just to get away and chill out for a bit.

"We went to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I wouldn't have chosen it but it was class."

For the lad who has won Scottish football's equivalent of the golden ticket, the conviviality of West End entertainment was a far cry from what was happening at Tannadice that weekend as red cards were liberally dished out during a clash that engendered much recrimination and Mackay-Steven was not unhappy to be where he was.

"It was really hectic from the day I signed until that period we got off," he said.

"There was game, game, game, game and quite a lot to take in, but I definitely think the break helped in terms of just getting your thoughts together and taking a step back and just out of football for a bit. It was definitely nice to recharge the batteries.

"Especially the first game it was nice to take a kind of step back, watch from afar what was going on and just gather your thoughts. Two weeks was definitely long enough, though. I was just itching to get back on the park."

If this week's break from matches is less welcome he is heading north this time to "chill out" some more in his native Thurso, but does so knowing he will be in the ideal environment to help gain involvement in future international gatherings on his return.

"As soon as you come here you realise there's a winning mentality in the dressing room and anything less than winning every week is not good enough," he observed.

"In the League Cup the boys did great, they won the Cup, but they had another massive game on the Wednesday so it was kind of celebrating in the changing room afterwards, but we were in training the next day preparing for the next game.

"Especially boys like Scott Brown, from day one they've drilled it into us how important it is to get that winning mentality and hopefully we're taking that on board for the future and it's a great way to be."

There is always room to learn... on which note Deila might just be tempted to invite the Celtic and Scotland captain to try to pick up a few tips from the newcomer on how to spend his free time.