All the talk in Scottish football has been about Odsonne Edouard.

The Frenchman has scored vital goals, performed heroically for Celtic in cup finals and been unplayable in fierce Rangers derbies that were in need of cool heads. So, for Marvin Compper, Edouard's talent has never been questioned or doubted. Perhaps, the German says, he was still in the shadow of former Hoops striker Moussa Dembele during Compper's time, but he has since gone on to prove he's the man.

Which is why, during a 45 minute chat with the defender - promised initially to be a 'five minute blether' - it was a surprise to hear that Compper considers another to be the best and most instinctively talented player in Celtic's ranks. A player who has the skill and adaptability to go far in his career if he can consistently find that end product.

"Mikey Johnston can go far, " Compper told Herald and Times Sport. "He has this natural instinct, he is the kind of player that, in the Scottish league, you might not even see 60 percent of what he's capable of. He is a player who can make a difference, can win a game for a team just like that. I don't want to put too much pressure on him but he could potentially be that player who plays for big teams and makes the difference for these teams.

"He's already shown that for Celtic. He's very capable. Players I've spoken to have said he's so hard to defend against and I think that's the biggest compliment an offensive player can get. He has a lot of potential but he needs to stay humble and work hard. Odsonne is another who made a huge leap forward since I was there. When I was first there, the main striker was Moussa [Dembele] and Odsonne was almost hiding a bit. Once Moussa left he stepped up big time and developed, and he'll be ready for bigger clubs in terms of the Champions League soon, if not already.

"But it's Mikey. And because he's a homegrown player he's a big, big talent. He just has to use his skills for more product. Because I shared the locker room with Mikey, Anthony Ralston, Scotty Allan, we had a lot of talks and I always told him the most important thing in his game was to have end product. At the end of the dribbling should be an assist, a shot on goal or a goal. The outcome of what you do has to be visible. That's all that matters in football.

"Karamoko Dembele is another, one of the biggest talents in Europe at his age but he has to develop. He has time, he needs to become a man on the pitch. Skill-wise, no question."

If Johnston - who made 21 appearances for Celtic this season before his injury - has the potential to become a major star for the Hoops, Compper reckons his old teammate Kris Ajer can go even further. While the German claims he doesn't want to put Johnston under too much pressure, he seemingly doesn't mind throwing down the gauntlet to Norwegian Ajer.

Referencing Virgil van Dijk's ascendancy to the top ranking centre-half in the world, Compper believes Ajer has it in him to follow in the Dutchman's footsteps. It's no wonder, the 34-year-old says, that clubs the size of AC Milan and Leicester City in the Premier League are already sniffing around.

Quick with a comparison to RB Leipzig wonderkid Dayot Upamecano, Compper believes the Frenchman is inches better than Ajer at this time, simply down to the quality of competition he takes on every week. But he has no doubts Ajer can surpass that and go on to be one of the best.

"Kris Ajer has all the tools to become one of the best defenders in the world," Compper added. "Of course, there's a long way to go and a lot of development that has to take place. When I played in Leipzig there was a defender Dayot Upamecano who is the same age, as quick as Kris and almost as tall, but you make the comparison.

"Upamecano played earlier in a league where you have to be at your best every week. He had to develop quicker. But you can see with Kris in international games, the task is harder and he's had to bring his A-game. In the Scottish league he can play at 60 or 70 percent which can make development harder and it can take more time to develop. But Kris has everything, the speed, the physicality and technique. He's smart and picks up things he's able to learn and adapt, so he has all the tools. It will come down to the tasks he gives himself.

"When you think of Celtic defenders you always come back to Virgil van Dijk, he made the correct decisions to improve his development and look where he is now. For Kris that will be the goal, to make these steps. He might become one of the best, it's possible, he's confident to want to achieve that, but there's a long way to go and a lot of hurdles to jump. Knowing what's already there and what he might be capable of, it's a lot."