Lewis Morgan feels he is ready to force himself into Neil Lennon’s plans at Celtic.
The winger, on international duty with Scotland, returns to Parkhead after a loan spell with Sunderland.
Competition in the final third is going to be intense, with Ryan Christie, James Forrest, Maryan Shved, Mikey Johnston and Scott Sinclair among those vying for places.
Morgan, who is hoping to win his third cap for Scotland against Cyprus on Saturday, said: “I am looking forward to going back in and working with him.
“Of course there is big competition. I knew when signing for the club that it was going to be like that.
“But I am looking at it in the way that it helps everyone improve if we are fighting over two spots.
“You always need to be at your best. If that helps push me on then it can only be a good thing.”
Morgan joined Celtic from St Mirren last summer but needed a loan spell with the League 1 Black Cats to get games under his belt.
Working with a management team he was familiar with – ex-Buddies boss Jack Ross is in charge at Sunderland – helped his cause, even if the season ended with play-off final disappointment against Charlton at Wembley.
He added: “I had to go out to get games in my legs again. It’s been a positive because it’s got me back into the international scene but I still feel there are levels to come from me.
“It’s well documented how many games there are down there. It is pretty much every Tuesday and Saturday. There is also loads of travelling but I enjoyed being part of it and I hope it can stand me in good stead for the season coming up.
“We shouldn’t have let it go to the play-offs, really. We wanted to get up automatically because you have seen in the play-offs that anything can happen. It was disappointing for the club but it is going to get back to where it should be. I have no doubt about that.
“It is a good learning experience. I was working with a coaching staff that I know and respect. In terms of the players, I spoke a lot with Aiden McGeady. He has a similar background to me and a similar position. He is a great player and I learned a lot from him
