Celtic have been a tough nut to crack for lots of opposition teams in the Premiership this season with the Hoops only conceding 20 goals in 35 fixtures.

One figure who's played a big part at the back for Ange Postecoglou's side is loanee Cameron Carter-Vickers.

Since joining the Parkhead club on a season-long loan from Tottenham Hotspur back in the summer, the centre-back has played in 28 league games.

In those games, the American has racked up a total of 20 tackles and 38 interceptions as well as a higher average of clearances per game (4.2) than any other Hoops player.

Despite his solid impact on the team this season, there's nothing official of yet regarding whether or not his loan spell will be made permanent in the summer.

Having caught the attention of other clubs in the Premier League, there's every chance that the 24-year-old may not be at Celtic Park next season.

Should this end up being the case, Postecoglou may not need to look too far in terms of a potential replacement for the Spurs loan man.

With only nine appearances to his name in the league this season, Stephen Welsh has not featured in a league game for the Bhoys since Boxing Day.

Given how well Carter-Vickers has done, it's easy to see why the 22-year-old has found regular game time hard to come by in recent weeks and months.

However, should the American find himself waving goodbye to Celtic in the summer, this could pave the way for Welsh to finally stake his claim for a regular spot in the team.

When the defender has been able to get on the pitch, he has shown just what he's capable of by making 13 interceptions in total, giving him the highest average (1.6) of interceptions per game in the Celtic squad.

Praised for his "phenomenal" performances in a Celtic shirt by Martin Miller, Welsh could really blossom into a top-quality defender for his side if he's given the chance to play on a consistent basis.

This could also allow Postecoglou the chance to save the club millions in potential transfer fees should they need to find a suitable replacement for Carter-Vickers.

In other news: Transfer accelerating: Exciting Lennoxtown update will leave Celtic supporters buzzing