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The knee slide, salute to the stands and prolonged fist pump suggested the goal was more than just the icing on the cake of a routine 4-0 win for Celtic . That’s because, for Sebastian Tounekti , it really was one of the sweetest moments in his entire career. The summer signing finally got to taste what it was like to net at Celtic Park the last time the Hoops ran out at home. Tounekti’s 73rd minute clincher in the 4-0 hammering of Falkirk displayed all the ingredients and quality that made the Hoops bite on the £5m Tunisia international when they were looking to liven up their forward line back in August. The winger latched onto Luke McCowan’s pass and evaded a lunging challenge from Bairns defender Liam Henderson before composing himself to slot past Scott Bain. Pace, poise and a perfect finish. Then came the celebration. It was a happy end to a traumatic few days that had seen Brendan Rodgers exit Parkhead and Martin O’Neill ride in to steady the ship. Former Hammarby and Bodo/Glimt ace Tounekti admits it’s up there with one of his greatest moments. And ahead of Kilmarnock’s visit to the east end of Glasgow this afternoon, the 23-year-old is hungry for more as the Hoops look to bounce back positively from Thursday’s Europa League drubbing from Midtjylland. Reflecting on his first Celtic Park strike, Tounekti said: "It was a really amazing feeling - one of the best feelings I ever had. "It was really special to get my first goal at the park. It's something I was looking forward to. "Hopefully I'll keep doing that because it was amazing. The game was really good on every level. "The intensity was good and we scored many goals with good relationships through the players. "We have to keep that going. It's going to be a hard game on Sunday against a physical team. "We want to go out on Sunday and bounce back from the result on Thursday. We want to win the game.” He might not have too many rivals for the honour but Tounekti has been the pick of the summer arrivals at Celtic. The Norwegian-born playmaker was midway through a campaign in Sweden with Hammarby when the Hoops made their move. That meant he hit the ground running in Glasgow where his performances on the left wing have kept Daizen Maeda out of his favoured position. His free-spirit style and willingness to take his man on have seen Tounekti become an instant fans’ favourite and, at times, helped lift the gloom hanging over the club due to the Hoops’ transfer window troubles. But he knows it’s just the start. And to really cement his status with the Celts he needs to help get them back on top. He said: "It's always nice to get that bond with the fans. "I'm a player who gets that bond more easily because of my playing style. "The support has been really amazing and I want to give something back because I think I've got more to give. "It's been positive for me so far. It's always difficult to come to a new club, especially a club like Celtic - so big. "But it's been positive as I've developed and I'm learning every day. "Hopefully I'll take more and more steps.” The 23-year-old has two league titles to his name after his spell at Bodo/Glimt. But he knows he can eclipse that in Scotland - if the Hoops can get over their stuttering start and finally find a rhythm. They may be nine points off Hearts in the table but a first cup final of the campaign has been secured thanks to last week’s 3-1 Hampden defeat of Rangers in the Premier Sports Cup. That was an occasion that blew Tounekti’s mind. He admitted: “It was maybe the biggest game in my life. "To win that game was really amazing. "It was unbelievable to see the support of the fans through the game. "It was a really cool game to play in." Maybe not as cool as the World Cup though. The winger has three Tunisia caps to his name and has played his part in the Carthage Eagles qualifying for next summer’s showpiece. Before then comes the Africa Cup of Nations which begins next month and could see the Tounekti miss weeks of action for the Hoops. That’s a headache for another day though. Tounekti know he needs to turn it on for Celtic is he’s to have any chance of realising both those dreams, He said: The (AFCON) tournament starts in December, the end of the month. "I'm not sure what will happen. We will see. "I have to do well here because the team there is really good. "The only focus is here at Celtic as we have so many games. "We have the Europa League, the cup final and the league. "Personally, it could be a big year. "As a team here, we have to stick together. We have so many important games. "I just take it game by game and hopefully we can keep up a winning streak here.”
