KRIS Commons has backed his old Celtic team Tom Rogic to light up Russia 2018 finals the same way he has shone in Old Firm games this season - and attract the interest of Europe’s top clubs as a result.

Rogic netted in his fourth Glasgow derby of the season at Parkhead on Sunday as Scott Brown and his team mates racked up a record-breaking 5-0 win and sewed up their seventh consecutive Scottish title.

Commons, who trained and played alongside the Australian for three years, watched his display from his vantage point in the Sky Sports studio at Celtic Park and was suitably impressed. “I texted Tom on Sunday and told him he was poetry in motion,” he said.

The former Scotland internationalist believes the Socceroos playmaker is more than capable of performing at the same high level in the World Cup finals this summer.

But he feels that Celtic’s chances of hanging on to the 25-year-old – who only has a season left on his current contract and has rejected the initial offer of an extension – will be reduced if he does excel on that stage.

“I don’t think that Tom wants to leave, but he’s in a position where his contract is running down and he’s about to go to a World Cup and you never know what can happen after that,” he said.

“Footballers have a short career and you have a small window where you have the chance to do something great. Sometimes you take a chance and it falls through and sometimes you don’t and then wonder what if?

“Tom has the opportunity this summer to showcase his ability in front of the world and if he turns in the kind of world-class displays like he did for 60 minutes against Rangers at the weekend then clubs will be after him.

“He’s a goalscorer and his ability to receive the ball has improved tenfold since I first saw him. He has awareness and quick feet and when you can see a pass, score goals and realise where the space is then people start taking notice, especially when you’re also 6ft 2in.

“But Tom is in the form of his life at the moment. He is not even having to think about things. It is all just coming naturally to him. He was in the zone. It was a joy to watch from attacking sense.That’s why I said it was poetry in motion in my text to him.

“If I’m playing well and scoring important goals and then going to a World Cup knowing other people will be watching me. You only have to play well in a couple of games to get a move. He could go to Brighton and probably get three times as much wages. Someone could bid £7 or 8 million for him.”

Commons added: “Brendan Rodgers will have real headache then because they have either got to give him what he wants to keep him here or Brendan will have another plan and they’ll spend three or four million pounds on a player to be their talisman. Ultimately I think the No.10 is your talisman, your Messi or Coutinho.

“If Brendan’s relaxed about his contract situation he’s either got his eye on someone else or he knows he’s got an offer that Tom can’t refuse.

"There’s talk of John McGinn going for £3 million. He’s got 12 months left on his contract. The beauty of Celtic is they are financially secure and whatever money they get in they have eyes on the next target. It’s Tom’s choice, but he’d like reassurances he is that talisman, that No.10, and he’s probably like to play a little bit more football.”

Commons believes that Rogic isn’t the only prominent player that Celtic will be bracing themselves to lose this summer - he feels they will also be preparing for lucrative bids for Moussa Dembele and Kieran Tierney and will have source potential replacements for both of them as well as captain Scott Brown.

“I think the club is so healthy just now that they will be identifying different options,” he said.

“I think they will be looking at someone possibly coming in for Moussa Dembele and Kieran Tierney. Scott Brown is also not going to last forever so you have to be looking at his replacement for down the line as well.

“Celtic have a crop of younger Scottish guys who are tremendous, but you wouldn’t mind someone else in there just to mix it up a bit, someone with European experience.

“I’m sure that Celtic will have their plans in place, no matter if Rogic has a great World Cup and ends up going.”

Rogic seldom plays for the entire game for Celtic and was replaced after 67 minutes at the weekend. But Commons stressed there are no issues with the No.10’s fitness and insisted he can excel in whichever league or country he plays in. He feels he suffers simply because of the strength in depth in the Scottish champions’ squad.

“I’d like to see him stay on the pitch for 90 minutes,” he said. “He’s not unfit. When he came back from internationals in Australia or the Far East I could understand it as those flights must be a real burden on his body. But in Sunday’s Old Firm game I’d like to see him on the pitch for 90 minutes.

“Kris Boyd in the studio asked me if it was a fitness thing, but it’s not. He’s a fit boy and there is no question he can last 90 minutes, but when you’ve got Scott Sinclair, Patrick Roberts and Leigh Griffiths on the bench how do you keep everyone happy? as you’ve got to give them some minutes.

“Everyone is chomping at the bit to play and when you’re winning 5-0 against your arch rivals and you get 20 minutes it’s just enough to keep you ticking over.

“I think what Brendan’s got now is a luxury of players that are itching to play that are on the bench, players that are playing out of their skin in the starting 11. He’s got a great balance that whoever comes in is at the top of their game, so he can chop and change and the changes are seamless.”