Nakamura is vital to us says Strachan

Celtic manager Gordon Strachan, whose side face Benfica in the Champions League on Wednesday, said Japan's Shunsuke Nakamura, pictured, was becoming more and more vital as the season went on

Celtic manager Gordon Strachan, whose side face Benfica in the Champions League on Wednesday, said Japan's Shunsuke Nakamura was becoming more and more vital as the season went on.

Nakamura's free kick in the 3-2 defeat to United was voted the best goal of matchday one on the www.uefa.com website.

And the Japanese player is known to enjoy working in the Champions League atmosphere, where he is usually given a bit more space to express his talents.

Strachan told the Celtic View: "We've worked it out that, of the last nine games we've scored, Nakamura has been involved in eight of them - and we can't speak highly enough of him.

"He's not a good tackler, but he knows where to stand to make it difficult for the opponent to get past and he runs back and tracks back.

"People say, 'he's not a good tackler', but so what, as long as you're a good teammate and get in the right place and track runs back, that's all you can ask."

Celtic travel to Lisbon hoping to secure entry into the last 16 of the Champions League, with a win over Benfica in the Stadium of Light virtually guaranteeing passage into the knockout stages for the first time.