Ending unbeaten run not Hoops’ big issue

CELTIC caretaker boss John Kennedy insists ending Rangers’ unbeaten Premiership season does not underpin the Hoops’ motivation for tomorrow’s Parkhead derby.

Rangers clinched league title No 55 and in doing so ended their Old Firm rivals’ aim of making it a record-breaking 10 in a row.

The Light Blues were knocked out of the Europa League on Thursday night by Slavia Prague and exited the League Cup at the hands of St Mirren.

But they have won 28 and drawn four of 32 league games and are six games away from an invincible league campaign – as achieved by Celtic in the 2016/17 season when the Parkhead side clinched a domestic treble.

However, Kennedy is focusing only on his side putting a marker down for the future.

He said: “It is not something we will use as motivation.

“Our motivation will purely be to take the game in isolation, competing against your biggest rivals, and putting a marker down in terms of what we do going forward.

“Rangers have won the title. We accept that and it is about moving forward and not just accepting that is going to be the norm.

“We have not shown what we are truly capable of this season. I have watched the players in training the last few weeks and I am excited to see them at the weekend.

“The motivation is to deliver the results and performance for the group and the fans.”

Kennedy has explained why Celtic will not give the new champions a guard of honour at Parkhead.

Brendan Rodgers had recently said that his old club should show “humility and class” by applauding Steven Gerrard’s men on to the pitch.

However, Celtic were not given a guard of honour at Ibrox in 2019 after clinching their eighth successive title.

Kennedy said: “It was the same two years ago when we were the champions although I don’t think such a fuss was made about it and I don’t see it as a big issue.”