Round-up: O'Neill tips 'explosive' Agathe for World Cup

Not content with having Europe's top goalscorer in his ranks, Martin O'Neill would now like the world champions to have a Celtic connection too.

While Henrik Larsson was delivering a warning to England with his first hat-trick of the season, O'Neill believes that one of the other scorers in the 5-0 rout of Dunfermline should also be going to the World Cup Finals.

Didier Agathe edged Celtic closer to another Scottish Premier League title with the spectacular goal that sealed the rout at Parkhead and eased the pain of that League Cup semi-final defeat by Rangers last Tuesday. The French winger was returning after a three-month absence with a knee injury that O'Neill feels ruined uncapped Agathe's chance of a call-up from his country.

"There are not many players in European football who can do what Didier can, "said O'Neill after the victory that maintained Celtic's 13-point lead over Rangers. "From a standing position, he is explosive. France have a really good side but if Didier had been injury-free, a possible call-up would have been coming. If he gets back to his best, why not? The French officials should have a look."

Sven Goran Eriksson knows all about Larsson. The England manager has already seen his compatriot scoring in the Champions' League against Juventus this season, and the way the Swedish striker took his haul to 28 goals suggests he is peaking in time for Japan.

Larsson could even afford to miss a penalty, and O'Neill countered claims that the man who won the European Golden Shoe last term has shaded. "I think Henrik is playing even better than last season," said the Celtic manager.

Rangers kept up the pursuit by securing a 2-0 win away to Hearts, which extended the unbeaten run since Alex McLeish took over from Dick Advocaat as manager in December to 14 games in all competitions.

Ronald de Boer ended the Edinburgh club's stubborn resistance in the 61st minute with a side-foot finish to Neil McCann's excellent pass before the latter inflicted a spectacular solo goal upon his old team.

"We must win every game if we are to have any hope of catching Celtic," said McLeish, whose trip to watch Feyenoord yesterday means the Uefa Cup is more on his mind than the 13 point gap in the league.

Franck Sauzee watched Hibernian's downward spiral – they have now gone 17 league games without a win – continue as his compatriot, David Ferrere, grabbed a hat-trick on his Motherwell debut in the the 4-0 nadir at Fir Park. Only St Johnstone's hopeless situation at the bottom is protecting Hibernian, who finished third last season, but Sauzee said defiantly: "I will not quit, I will never walk away. I know as a player that this sort of situation can be changed."