Former Fulham midfielder John Collins has praised Kelechi Iheanacho for his match-winning impact in Celtic's 2-1 victory over Hibernian on Sunday, while questioning his ability to start games regularly.

Iheanacho, who was introduced in the second half, proved decisive once again as he fired home from inside the box in the 72nd minute to seal all three points. 

His performance has reignited debate over whether he should be handed a starting role instead of being used from the bench as Celtic push for the title.

Reacting to the performance, Collins acknowledged Iheanacho's technical qualities but suggested his physical limitations may restrict him to a substitute role for now. 

"Iheanacho has a good awareness of what's round about him," Collins said on BBC Sportsound.

"He can take it in and you can play one-twos off him but what he doesn't have is legs to start a game.

"So the manager has a decision to make. Do you have him on the bench when games are usually won in the last 20 minutes?"

Despite that, Collins believes Iheanacho could still play a decisive role in Celtic's title push, insisting the forward may be best deployed off the bench in the final weeks of the campaign. 

"I think he'll be a bench player used for the last minutes until the end of the season. But there's every chance he could be a hero at the end of the season," he added. 

The Nigerian international's latest contribution continues a run of fine form since returning from injury, having now scored four goals in his last six appearances across all competitions

Adeyemi Adewale