The Japanese international midfielder claims even the Scottish weather is failing to dampen his enthusiasm and he has hinted his stay could continue beyond 2008.

“It’s definitely possible of course,” said Nakamura. “Glasgow is a very good city and I like it here.

“It’s just a bit cold and wet but I’ve no regrets about leaving Italy. But who knows what can happen? Maybe the club will sack me.”

Nakamura and his team-mates have had to take a back seat this season as Hearts have shot ahead in the Bank of Scotland Premier League championship race with six wins out of six.

Manager Gordon Strachan has not been surprised by Hearts’ flying start but he believes it is their Scotland stars that deserve the plaudits – and not their foreign arrivals.

Hearts are currently five points clear of the Parkhead side and eight points in front of champions Rangers.

The likes of Rudi Skacel and Edgaras Jankauskas have been hogging the limelight but the Celtic boss believes Craig Gordon, Steven Pressley, Andy Webster and Paul Hartley have given them a solid platform on which to build results.

“I took Hearts seriously even before a ball was kicked,” said Strachan.

“They’ve certainly invested big money but what we shouldn’t ignore is that they’ve a group of players who’ve been there for a few years now who are in top form.

“From the goalkeeper, through to the centre-halves to Paul Hartley in the midfield, those guys deserve an enormous pat on the back.

“They’re playing fantastically well and although the foreign lads, who’ve come in, are getting a lot of attention it should also be acknowledged that the Scottish lads are providing the base for the manager there to build on.

“Those lads will feel life is great at the moment given how things are going for both their club and the national team and they’ve every right to be pleased with themselves.”

Celtic travel to Hearts’ city rivals Hibernian on Sunday and Strachan insists they too demand their respect after putting a run of four consecutive victories together to stand proudly alongside them in the SPL table.

“I like them,” the little Scot told the Celtic View.

“They’re a team that can adapt their positions to give opposition teams problems and they play with a lot of pace, energy and belief after a great season last year.

“We’ll put a lot of work into seeing what they’re doing. We won’t just turn up and say: ‘This is how we're going to play’, because they’ve earned respect and we’re duty-bound to give them it.”

The game will come too soon for Chinese defender Du Wei to start but he came through his first outing in a Celtic shirt last night and set his sights on the first team.

The 23-year-old gave a commanding display at centre-half as the reserves drew 1-1 against their Aberdeen counterparts at Montrose’s Links Park in front of the watching Strachan.

“I really enjoyed my first game in Celtic colours,” said Du Wei.

“I felt I coped well but after I went back to China I was not training much so I found it a bit more difficult the longer the game went on.

“But I will be fine after a few more training sessions and I hope I will soon be ready for the first team, if the manager picks me. I took a minor knock on my head and I was taken off as a precaution. There is no problem.”