Liel Abada has pace to burn and has rapidly become a driving force in new-look Celtic's pursuit of success this season by supplying a piercing end product.

As Celtic resume their European campaign on Thursday, has there been a better signing in Scottish football this season? And what are the roots of Abada's rise to prominence?

Celtic's most productive player

Costing a reported £3.6m from Maccabi Petah Tikva, Abada didn't come cheap for a 19-year-old who had played fewer than 40 top-flight games in his homeland.

But productive wingers with a scoring knack are precious commodities in the modern game and he has proved an astute piece of business, with plenty of scope for further development within the span of his five-year contract.

Gently acclimatising to his new surroundings was not a luxury afforded to Abada. As Postecoglou frantically tried to assemble a squad, he was thrown in for a debut in Celtic's season-opener - a 1-1 draw with Midtjylland in Champions League qualifying - and crowned it with a goal.

He has rarely budged from the team since. His 40 appearances is the most of any Celtic player this season and only five - captain Callum McGregor and goalkeeper Joe Hart among them - have played more minutes.

While still rough around the edges, and with fluctuations in his consistency, Abada has nailed down his place - keeping Scotland winger James Forrest out the side - as a creative fulcrum in Celtic's high-octane attacking system.

He leads the way with 11 assists but, perhaps more impressively for a wide player, his 14-goal haul is bettered only by Kyogo Furuhashi.

In the Scottish Premiership, Abada is Celtic's top scorer with nine - two shy of the league's most prolific - and his six assists are second only to Rangers' James Tavernier's total.

'I was absolutely sure he had the potential'

Abada's dynamic impression has vindicated the belief shown in him by Willi Ruttensteiner, who served as Israel head coach until last week.

The player's exponential progress was such that, by last summer, Ruttensteiner knew he was ready for a higher level and wanted to help get him there. And so, three months shy of turning 20, Abada was given his debut for the national side in a 3-1 friendly win in Montenegro.

"Liel did very well in the Israeli league and was showing real potential," Ruttensteiner tells BBC Scotland. "I wanted to help him get an offer from a strong club in European football. If you have an appearance for the national team, it helps a lot.

"I was absolutely sure he had the potential and took him very young to the national team. It's often you are a little bit criticised but when you see this first season in Glasgow, I was right."

Abada moved to Celtic a few weeks later and went on to earn a further four caps under Ruttensteiner. While the 59-year-old Austrian fully expected his protege to thrive, he is pleasantly confounded by how quickly the slightly-built winger has adapted to the physicality.

"My doubt was because I know the Scottish league," Ruttensteiner says. "With Israel we played against Scotland several times and they were very hard games against a physically strong opponent.

"With Liel's body shape and being very young, I was a bit concerned how long he would need to adapt. I maybe didn't expect him to start almost all the matches, but he has handled the physical aspect brilliantly."

Ruttensteiner isn't alone in watching with pride. Nir Levin, who was Israeli's national youth director from 2016 until last year, had Abada as the star performer in his teams from under-16 through to under-21 level.

Abada was ahead of his time, playing alongside team-mates at least a year his senior, and his tactical dexterity was enhanced by Levin deploying him in various roles.

The bursts into the box from the right flank, quick interchanges of passing and adroit finishing he has displayed at Celtic are skills honed from an early age.

"With the under-17s, we played in the Euros and the main reason we qualified was Liel, because he was the key player," says Levin. "Then, with the 21s, I brought him in even though he was two or three years younger than the rest.

"He was playing as a striker but also a winger because we had two different systems. And then I used him in a 3-5-2 as the right wing-back. He did it very well, even though I know he didn't like it so much.

"Because of his speed and technique, and high level of understanding of the game, I wanted to make him have experience of other positions. He is very quiet but a real joy to work with. He is something special."

Delivering when it matters

So, can Abada lay claim to being the best signing in Scottish football this season? While the likes of 15-goal Aberdeen striker Christian Ramirez and Hearts midfielder Beni Baningime deserve honourable mentions, it's in the Celtic dressing room where most contenders spring out.

Kyogo, the League Cup final match-winner, was irrepressible before being struck down by injury in December, while Josip Juranovic has seamlessly flitted between full-back berths, Cameron Carter-Vickers has stiffened the defence and Jota has been a stand-out on the left flank.

The latter two, though, are only on loan and may be elsewhere next term, while Abada is tied to Celtic for the long haul.

He has especially come to the fore and stood strong in the last couple of months as Postecoglou's side have overcome a welter of absences to supplant Rangers at the top of the Premiership.

In December, as a makeshift striker at Ross County he opened the scoring in a key victory, then netted a double on Boxing Day as Celtic triumphed 3-1 at St Johnstone.

Even better was to come after the winter break with goals in three consecutive games - a crucial last-gasp winner at home to Dundee United, the final strike in a resounding 3-0 Old Firm success and another goal plus two assists as Celtic ran amok at Motherwell.

Now he turns his focus to Norwegian champions Bodo/Glimt as Celtic attempt to progress to the last 16 of European competition for the first time in nine years.

Two of his esteemed former coaches will be among those willing Abada on to success.

"Liel has everything - he is fast, brilliant technique, wonderful dribbling, very high football intelligence. He is a hard worker and has a great career ahead," says Ruttensteiner.

Levin adds: "Every time Celtic play, I text Liel. I'm so happy for him. Hopefully he will play Champions League next season and Celtic is the best place for him."