Bellamy’s latest contribution was a terrific goal at Ibrox yesterday which helped Martin O’Neill’s men to a 2-1 win over Rangers as they extended their lead at the top of the Bank of Scotland Premier League to five points.

However, Burns, who doubles up as Celtic’s youth supremo as well as assisting Walter Smith with the Scotland national side, refused to get carried away with the striker’s growing reputation.

He said: “You’re talking about another planet when you talk about Larsson - he is in another world.

“Craig Bellamy has been here a couple of months and has had a good impact and has scored some good goals and had a smashing game against Rangers and everything like that. But I think you can only tell the real top players by what they win.

“Top players are judged by trophies and medals and Craig has done brilliantly but he has still to get the prizes.”

However, as the speculation continues as to what Bellamy will do when his loan spell is up in the summer, Burns is confident the Parkhead club will sign him on a permanent deal.

Asked about the inevitability of Bellamy departing back to England, Burns said: “They said the same about Chris Sutton, Neil Lennon, Alan Thompson and John Hartson when they came and they’ve become legends at Celtic in the last five years so why not the same for Craig Bellamy?

“I don’t think there are any problems with Martin keeping him that he can do anything about. I think Martin and the club will do everything they possibly can they can keep him there and I don’t think it will come down to finances. There won’t be that much a difference by playing with Celtic or somewhere else.

“It will be a question of whether Craig wants to play somewhere else in the next stage of his career.

“But I think the club and the supporters have had a big impact on him and his life, he seems to have settled down and he’s probably playing the best football of his career.”