Kyogo Furuhashi is barely in the door and he’s taking breath away.
James Forrest, on the other hand, has been doing it for a decade. Between them the attacking pair have given Celtic a big shot of storming into the group stage of the Europa League.
Ange Postecoglou has uncovered the poster boy of his rock’n’roll football in the shape of Furuhashi.
The 26-year-old Japanese was supposed to need time to settle. Well, if this is still his bedding-in period it’s hard to imagine what he’ll be like when he hits top gear.
He’s sizzling and classy.
Furuhashi followed up his brilliant first-half volley for a sixth goal in five starts by providing the impudent pass that allowed Forrest to hit a shot deflected in for an own goal second.
Postecoglou is going to need some old hands to help the new boys and Forrest is one, so is Tom Rogic.
The boss declared himself a lover of Dutch footballing craft before the game and he’s got an artist in the shape of his compatriot, who created the opener.
The trio were responsible for the goals that have Celtic in control at the halfway stage of this tie. But it’s not over. Last night’s end-to-end epic offers the evidence.
Postecoglou’s risk-and-reward approach is thunderous to watch. It’s head-spinning stuff.
It could have carved out a bigger advantage to take to Alkmaar for next week’s return leg but it could also have opened a door for the Dutch.
Keeper Joe Hart made a crucial save at 0-0. More chances were created as Celtic played on the edge but the backline held firm, with kids such as Stephen Welsh and Anthony Ralston terrific to reward their frontmen.
Another pulsating performance may well be required to get Postecoglou’s team over the line across the North Sea but the momentum is building.
That’s five straight wins for the Aussie and his team. And this was another enthralling early episode in his reign.
It was never going to be dull. Postecoglou’s attacking demands, which leave spaces down the other end, make for thrill-a-minute stuff and it rampaged from the outset.
Alkmaar clearly sensed an open home set-up could be exploited. The first ball went straight down a channel to win a corner and they quickly posted warnings – severe ones at that.
Inside seven minutes there were two let-offs, first when Carl Starfelt was done by the raiding Zakaria Aboukhlal who then went down in the box without impressing ref Ovidiu Hategan.
Second, when Dani de Wit delivered to the far post for Vangelis Pavlidis, whose low shot looked destined for the net until Hart poked out a toe to divert it on to a post before collecting the loose rebound as it ran across his line.
It was an unorthodox but vital stop, the true value of which became apparent when Celtic went straight downfield and grabbed an opener through Furuhashi.
Rogic’s glide towards the byeline and cross were excellent but the movement of the Japanese to lose his marker with a darting run to the back stick was electric, the volley finish into the roof of the net at full stretch simply explosive.
It was Celtic this season in a nutshell – dodgy at the back, dazzling in attack.
For a spell following Furuhashi’s cracker they caused chaos and Rogic was at the heart of the carnage with his twinkle toes majestic at times.
One strike was beaten away by keeper Hobie Verhulst and one sumptuous through ball created an opportunity for Liel Abada.
The teenager won the nod over Odsonne Edouard. The Frenchman had looked sharp in the weekend win over Hearts alongside Furuhashi but the 19-year-old Israeli was given the vote to start in a huge show of faith and had another strike blocked as he grew into the game.
Everyone was getting in on the act and Forrest was next, stepping inside on to his favoured right peg to curl a cracking effort towards the top corner that brought a flying save from Verhulst.
But it was white-knuckle stuff. Supporters needed seat belts fitted as the rollercoaster took them back down the other end and gave them a shake.
Starfelt played a pass into the midfield that was never on. Alkmaar broke and Moroccan Aboukhlal, who had just taken a wild swipe at a cross, had another strike that forced Hart to save low to his left.
Celtic led to the break and, as it happened, it could have been by more than one.
Welsh headed over a David Turnbull corner, the midfielder shot off target and Abada’s cross to Furuhashi was cut out as he lurked but the lead stayed a narrow one.
It was never going to end 1-0 but quite how the Dutch didn’t level five minutes after the resumption remains a mystery as full-back Thijs Oosting blasted over.
Ticking towards the hour, some zip left home legs but Edouard took over from Abada to try to inject impetus and the impact was instant.
He was part of a move that saw Rogic clip over before the key second goal arrived.
There was fortune. Furuhashi’s cheeky nutmeg pass picked out his team-mate in the box and he took the ball with his back to the target.
Forrest swivelled and shot, his effort taking a mammoth deflection off defender Timo Letschert and squirting over the line.
It injected air into home lungs with Furuhashi leading by example with three tackles on the halfway line, showing fight to go with finesse.
His race was run before the end, same with Rogic. James McCarthy came on to try to see it through with Ralston’s brilliant back-post clearance protecting the lead.
In the end it was almost three. Edouard had two attempts saved by Verhulst while fellow sub Adam Montgomery had two more blocked in the ensuing melee.
But two will do with Celtic having the firepower to do more damage in Holland.
One thing’s for sure, it will be worth watching.
