HE may be the only Welshman named after a Jamaican reggae superstar ever to pull on a Inverness jersey but these days Marley Watkins doesn't need the unusual tale behind his Christian name to hit the headlines.

The 24-year-old former Swansea City and Chelsea youth product is in the form of his life under John Hughes, so much so that the club have made a new contract a priority with the January transfer window approaching.

As Celtic's rearguard discovered on Saturday, Watkins' pace, control and power make him a handful for any defence. Frequent stand-out displays alerted the Wales manager Chris Coleman, who included him in his standby list for the October qualifiers against Cyprus and Bosnia.

Garry Warren, Watkins' club mate, finds it easy to sum up the playing attributes that make him a special part of the squad, but far tougher to articulate just how popular a figure he is about the club. Ever since he arrived from Hereford United and revealed his mum named him after musical legend Bob, he has been a firm favourite.

Warren said: "Marley, against Celtic, was just outstanding with the way he put their back two of Virgil Van Dijk and Jason Denayer under such pressure. He is one of those lads who has so much potential - I think he can really kick on in his career.

"Younger lads can tend to have two or three great matches and then a bad one so, for him now, it's about trying to iron that out and maybe have one bad game every 10.

"Marley looks capable of doing that now - he's started off brilliantly. How can you describe him, though. He's a bit daft! But he's such a good guy - a unique character. Everyone loves him. He's one of those guys who puts a smile on your face every day. He doesn't mean to be a joker but he is, if you know what I mean.

"It's just the way he comes across. Not long after he came to the club, he gave the press guys the story about his mum naming him after Bob Marley - and totally sums him up. Like a Rasta, he's just so relaxed and chilled out. He is just a loveable guy."

For that love affair to continue, Caley Thistle need to act before word of Watkins' form becomes more widespread.

Warren stressed: "At the moment, he is a massive part of the team. He's our top scorer and the shift and energy he gives to the side is so important.

"If you look at him, he's more like an old-fashioned winger. He's direct, he's quick and, for the size of him, he's very strong. He can move as well.When you add all those qualities to somebody's game, they are very hard to stop as the two Celtic lads found out on Saturday."