Egypt attacker Haitham Hassan makes explosive start to Scottish Premiership campaign

Egyptian international Haitham Hassan has earned recognition for his crossing ability after featuring among the Scottish Premiership’s most successful players in that department following the opening seven rounds of the season.

The Celtic winger has made the move to Scotland following his summer transfer from Spanish side Real Oviedo in a deal reportedly worth £9 million, signing a contract that runs until 2030.

His start to life at Celtic has been somewhat inconsistent in terms of playing time, with manager Martin O’Neill often using him from the substitutes’ bench.

Despite the limited opportunities, Hassan has still managed to make an impact with his delivery from wide areas and has emerged as one of the league’s most productive players when it comes to accurate crosses.

According to Scottish network ScatterScout, Hassan has completed 39 successful crosses in the Premiership so far, placing him seventh in the league rankings after seven rounds.

Hibernian’s Adam Mayor leads the chart with 70 successful crosses, followed by Falkirk’s Ryan Stren with 57.

Emanuel Longelo of Motherwell is third with 42, while Jesse Randall of Dundee United, Calvin Miller of Hearts and Greg Kilty of Kilmarnock have each registered 41 successful crosses.

Hassan’s 39 accurate deliveries put him seventh, ahead of Aberdeen’s Conor Ronan, St Johnstone’s Ennis Alichi and Hibernian’s Felix Passlack, who complete the top 10.

The statistic represents a positive individual marker for Hassan despite his fluctuating involvement at Celtic, where he is still competing for a more consistent starting role.

The Egyptian winger will now turn his attention to international duty as he prepares to join the Pharaohs for their upcoming friendly against South Africa.

Egypt are scheduled to face Bafana Bafana on October 4 at 9pm at Cairo International Stadium, giving Hassan another opportunity to impress on the international stage.

Following the international break, Celtic are set to return to Scottish Premiership action against Dundee United on Saturday, October 10, in the eighth round of the competition.

Hassan will be hoping his strong crossing statistics can translate into greater opportunities at Celtic as he continues his adaptation to Scottish football.