Celtic striker Georgios Samaras insists he is close to his best following knee surgery after struggling to recapture his early-season form.Samaras scored 10 goals in nine games before his injury, but has netted just once in seven games since his comeback a month ago.

However, he insists he felt his full fitness returning during Wednesday night's 2-0 Champions League victory over Villarreal.

And he has warned Hearts he will be firing on all cylinders when they meet in the Scottish Premier League on Saturday.

"It was the first game I felt really free," the former Manchester City striker said. "I feel free again and there is no pain.

"I'm looking for a good performance in my next game and finding my form again. I am going to find my form again.

"I will be back for sure. I'm back already but I will be better and better every game.

"The first game, I was a little bit anxious. I had it in my mind but now I am free.

"It is really important that even when I had bad games, my team-mates and gaffer stuck with me, and I am grateful for that."

Samaras failed to score in this season's Champions League and missed good chances during the defeats in Villarreal and Aalborg.

But he vowed Celtic will win the SPL to ensure they put up a better performance next season.

"Everyone is delighted that we won the last game," the 23-year-old said.

"I think we deserved to win. I think we will learn from our mistakes over the six games and come back next year.

"I don't care about the critics; all I think about is my team-mates and trying to play good football.

"The target now is to win the title and also the two cups - to win what we can. We are ready to win the title again.

"We were unlucky last week against Hibernian. But we showed good character and performed really well against Villarreal and we will look for another performance like that against Hearts."

Hearts midfielder Ruben Palazuelos was surprised Celtic beat Villarreal, but the Spaniard has predicted another shock at Parkhead.

"It was maybe a surprise because Villarreal are better," Palazuelos told Hearts World.

"But Villarreal didn't play with all their quality players."

Palazuelos claims Hearts can win their sixth successive match tomorrow.

"It's a big team with good players but football is 11 players against 11 players," added Palazuelos, who played when Hearts knocked Celtic out of the Co-operative Insurance Cup at Parkhead last season.

"Hearts have quality players and five wins from five games, and last year we won in Glasgow."

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