In conversation, Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink is modest in self-defence. In fact, for such a big striker, you expect him to be a little more pungent when it comes to protecting his own reputation. Instead, though, this thoughtful Dutchman is content to speak in soft, self-effacing tones when providing answers to questions about whether he is holding his own on behalf of Celtic.

Gather any two or three Celtic fans together for debate about Vennegoor of Hesselink, and a squabble is likely to break out.

This is a player with 13 caps for Holland, the most recent one coming three days ago when he scored for his country against Croatia, yet the accusations are familiar - he looks lazy, he’s a soft touch on the pitch, he’s no barrel-load of goals.

Moreover, the Dutchman’s ankles, they say, like the proverbial boxer’s jaw, are made of glass.

On the plus side, the easy-going Vennegoor of Hesselink has a nice technique and boasts a one-per-two-games career goals record that would satisfy most players and supporters.

“I don’t like to talk about myself that much,” he said yesterday when asked about his current form. “I do my thing and as long as I’m appreciated by the management staff, then it’s good. The first thing for me is the team. You always hope to do better but sometimes there are games where you don’t do so good. But I try to work hard for the team.”

In truth, he is not having a prodigious season. Last week, Vennegoor of Hesselink crashed home a marvellous left-footed goal against Kilmarnock in the Scottish Cup, yet all it served to do was remind some of how infrequent such acts were at the Dutchman’s feet. Celtic paid almost £2.5 million to PSV Eindhoven for him two years ago and the debate rages about whether it was money well spent. The striker has had various injuries and is said to be lacking in “big goals” in big games.

“I’ve said before that you have ups and downs in the season,” he said. “There is always that discussion [among supporters]. It happened in Holland also. You can be the kind of player that some people love or the kind that some people don’t like as much. For me, I just do my thing, play for the team, score goals and be important.

“It’s difficult – you can have an opinion and write that about me. As a player, you can’t make friends with everybody. You hope so, and you try, but there’s always going to be a discussion, and everyone will have an opinion. Maybe it’s better that people talk about you than don’t talk about you.”

Gordon Strachan certainly has no doubts about Vennegoor of Hesselink – or does he? The Celtic manager has always spoken highly of the player, yet the arrival of Georgios Samaras at Celtic Park during the January transfer window did seem to hint at some degree of dissatisfaction with the striker. With Samaras’s arrival, it’s not as if Vennegoor of Hesselink needed cover, because Chris Killen is at Celtic to do that job.

Nonetheless, when asked about the Dutch striker yesterday, Strachan was unstinting in his appreciation.

“As a team, and as coaches, we feel better when Jan’s in the team,” Strachan said. “He thinks like a footballer, he’s got the touch of a good footballer, and his goal-scoring record is fantastic. I also know that other teams we play against know what a good player he is. When he’s in the tunnel with us we know we’ll be all right.

“The thing Jan suffers from is a bit like how it was for Billy Stark, or even Alan Hansen to a certain extent. Some people don’t relate to the big, ganglier types, so they can be the whipping boys now and then. But the boys here love Jan. He’s a real player, and let’s be fair – if you keep getting picked for Holland, then you’re all right, eh?”

Vennegoor of Hesselink will lead Celtic’s attack against Aberdeen at Pittodrie tomorrow, possibly even alongside Samaras if Scott McDonald is rested after playing for Australia in midweek. The Dutchman has even had the honour of wearing the Celtic captain’s armband recently, and there remains a certain charm in the way he enthuses about life in Glasgow’s east end.

“It was a great honour for me to be captain of Celtic and I hope someone took a picture of it because it would be framed after I stop playing football,” he said. “I was captain once at PSV and I was very proud. It means a lot to me. It is obvious who the captain is here [Stephen McManus] but it was still an honour.

“As for me, I don’t say that I [must get] so many goals. If the team scores 40 goals and I score ten and the team become champions then it’s good for me. At the end of the season, we will see what happens. Scotty is doing a very good job and is helping us as a team.”