BEING under-appreciated is a familiar feeling for Greg Taylor. The unassuming full-back rarely grabs the headlines for Celtic or receives the plaudits, but he also very rarely lets his team down.

The same could be said for a couple of guys who ply their trade not too far away from Taylor’s left-back berth, though widespread opinion seems to be warming of late towards the contributions that are being made to Celtic’s season by Ange Postecoglou’s first-choice centre-back pairing.

Cameron Carter-Vickers and particularly Carl Starfelt have had to win over doubters within their own fanbase and within the punditry sphere this term, with some early porous showings from the Celtic defence on the European stage shaping perceptions of their ability to form a solid partnership.

Even now, there is a lingering theory in some quarters that the Celtic defence is the weak point of their team, which rather ignores the fact that they have the best defensive record in the league, losing just 18 goals in 30 games in the Premiership.

Taylor is full of admiration for the way that both players have adapted not only to playing for such a huge club and handling the expectation that comes with the territory, but for adapting their own games to suit the unique demands placed on them as defenders by manager Ange Postecoglou.

“I would agree they have been unsung heroes,” Taylor said. “The two guys at the back have been really good. Not only in our defending, but in the build-up phase, they have helped us a lot.

“It’s not an easy way to play the way the manager wants, but they have taken to it no problem.

“They have collected a lot of clean sheets and hopefully that can continue for the rest of the season.

“We didn’t have a shot against us in the games with Hibs and St Mirren – and that says it all. You look at Cameron and Carl, with Joe (Hart) as well, but I know they’d say it starts with the strikers and wingers.

“All season the defenders have been grateful to these guys as they give themselves to the team in every game.

“The do a power of grafting and the manager has said if the front players can do that, they will reap the rewards with the goals and assists.

“It takes a lot of work so we are grateful to them.”

Taylor can see why Postecoglou was drawn to Carter-Vickers, given that both men tend to lead by their actions and example, rather than by screaming and shouting at other players.

“It’s true, he’s even quieter than the gaffer!” Taylor said. “He’s been outstanding on the pitch, while away from it he’s really quiet.

“I try to steer clear of him in training, mind you. He’s some size and he’s quick as well. He’s got all the tools and he’s used them this year.

“He goes about his business, he trains and works hard. He’s not a shouter and bawler, he just goes about his business quietly.

“I do know he’s absolutely desperate to do well here. He’s desperate to win. You can tell.

“He takes a huge pride in not conceding a goal. If he does, he's so determined it doesn’t happen again.

“Him and Carl have been a huge part of the reason we’ve been successful so far this season.”

One man who does not want for the adulation of the Celtic crowd is winger Jota, who has been sensational since making the loan move from Benfica in the summer.

There are some creeping suggestions of late though that he hasn’t quite been the same player since making his return from a hamstring injury, a theory that Taylor – from the vantage point of playing alongside him on the left - doesn’t buy in the slightest.

“We’ve seen what Jota has done this season,” he said. “It’s only a few weeks ago he scored two hugely important goals at Aberdeen to get us three points on a tough night.

“Jota has been outstanding this season. It’s not surprising because he’s a top pro.

“He reaps his own rewards because away from the pitch he’s always working hard to get better. You can see why he’s been so good for us and hopefully he can continue that until the end of the season.

“He’s a big player for us. He’s one of the ones it doesn’t matter if he’s quiet as it only takes him a second to turn a game.

“We’ve got a lot of those kinds of players, to be fair, and it would be unfair to say it’s just him we rely on for that kind of thing as there’s others like James (Forrest), (Liel) Abada, Mikey Johnstone, (Giorgos) Giakoumakis, Maeda and others.

“You’ve seen all of them chip in with important goals at stages of the season.

“Jota does it as well and we’ll need that in the remainder of the campaign.”