CELTIC boss Brendan Rodgers says that Greenock-born midfielder Luke McCowan has all the right capabilities to play for Steve Clarke's Scotland side.

Rodgers sung the praises of the former Notre Dame High School pupil - who's gone from strength to strength under the eye of the Northern Irishman since joining the Scottish Champions in a £1million transfer from Dundee in the summer - ahead of tomorrow (Wednesday) night's top of the table clash against Aberdeen.

McCowan further impressed his new boss last weekend, after contributing to four of the five goals that the Hoops fired past Ross County keeper Ross Laidlaw in Saturday's Premiership romp that put them five points clear at the top of the league.

And Rodgers believes that that performance only further showed that McCowan has the capabilities to step up and play for the national side ahead of March's UEFA Nations League play-off against Greece.

Speaking today, Rodgers said: "International level, for me, is about technique, tactical idea and having a level of speed that allows you to have the mobility to get around the pitch.

"You'll have some really good players but they're just not quite cut out for that fast pace at international level.

"Luke has that. if I look at him, he's got got that technical nous and that physicality. That's there at a really high level so we know he can do that.

"Technically he's finding the comfort now in the game and tactically he's shown how quickly he's adapted.

"He and Paolo Bernardo were brilliant at the weekend in terms of how they linked up- so it tells you he's learning the concepts and principles of how we (Celtic) play.

"Like I said, he has personality. And there's no doubt that if you can play for Celtic then you can play for Scotland for sure.

"He's settled in really well and he's now one of us. I see this winning mentality and the hunger he has to learn every day. I see how hard he works."