All-action Hibs forward issues 'too much respect' warning as Celtic lie in wait

Celtic keeper Kasper Schmeichel was relieved to see Bowie's shot hit the bar on Sunday. | SNS Group

New Hibs striker Kieron Bowie insists he’ll continue to show a lack of respect to Celtic after making an instant impact against the champions last weekend. But the Scotland Under-21 forward admits that Brendan Rodgers’ men are clearly the best team in the country – which is why he’ll enjoy testing himself again at Celtic Park tomorrow.

With the memory of last weekend’s 2-0 home loss to the Hoops still fresh, David Gray takes his team to Glasgow on Premier Sports Cup duty tomorrow, with a place in the quarter-finals up for grabs. The Hibs boss has spoken openly about the need for his players to be more aggressive and less passive against the serial trophy winners.

One of the first things Bowie did when thrown on as a second-half substitute against Celtic last weekend was outmuscle central defender Cameron Carter-Vickers and crash a shot off the crossbar from a tight angle. The 21-year-old, a £600,000 signing from Fulham, insists he’d take the same approach against any opponent.

“Yes, you want to show people respect - but you don't want to show them too much respect,” he said, adding: “You see that on a weekly basis, they (Celtic) get a lot of respect, and they get so much time on the ball. You don't want to give them that. I think I'm coming here with a clean slate, just not really showing anyone too much respect and just trying to do the best I can.”

CATCH THE FIRST EPISODE OF OUR HIBS HUB PODCAST HERE

Admitting he’d been slightly caught out by the intensity of Celtic’s play, Bowie said: “I wasn't really sure what to expect. But it’s easier watching it on the TV rather than running about chasing them!

“That's the best you'll play against in this country. They're the sort of players you want to aspire to play with. They play in the Champions League every year and it's tough competition to play against them.”