FORMER CELTIC midfielder Andreas Thom last night insisted the Parkhead club can provide his countryman Andreas Hinkel with the ideal platform to seal a place at the Euro 2008 finals.

The former Stuttgart player concluded a £2.1 million move from Seville to Parkhead on Friday evening, bringing to an end an unhappy period in Spain which saw him play second fiddle to Daniel Alves at right back and drop out of the international reckoning under national team coach Joachim Low.

Hertha Berlin's Arne Friedrich and Bayern Munich's versatile Philipp Lahm currently have that position sewn up but Thom - the last German internationalist to arrive in the East End of Glasgow - believes a regular run of games will be enough to remind everyone of Hinkel's claims to be the best right full back in Germany.

"I think Andreas can definitely go on to be as successful as I was," said Thom, the former assistant manager of Hertha Berlin. "He is still only 25, he is a very fast player and his technique is good, so I think he can do a really good job for Celtic.

"For me, it is not a problem for me that he has not been playing so regularly. He has been fit and wanting to play and that is why he has maybe taken a chance to change club and make an opportunity for the European Championships.

"Who is the best right back in Germany?" Thom added. "We are speaking about Andreas Hinkel, and it could be him if he plays a good championship with Celtic.

"If he plays more games for Celtic then he has a good chance to go to Euro 2008, but that is a question which can only truly be answered by one man, national team coach Joachim Low."

Thom regards the £2.1m move for a player with 17 German international caps as sound business. "When you look around the world and see what clubs are paying for players who haven't even played a lot of games in their career then I don't think the transfer fee is too big," he said.

"When you compare all the German players who have played in Scotland, myself and Jorg Albertz, Stefan Klos and Christian Nerlinger who all played for Rangers, I think we have all tried to do a good job, and I think Andreas Hinkel will do a good job as well."

Thom is also sure Hinkel will not be fazed by what looks set to be a tight title race with Rangers - even if the right back's involvement for Seville means he cannot be registered for the Champions League last 16 tie against Barcelona.

"I don't think playing in the Old Firm games will be a problem to him," Thom said. "I think he is going to make a big impact on the Celtic supporters."