Ending Rangers’ unbeaten record no extra motivation for Kennedy

John Kennedy insists ending Rangers’ unbeaten Scottish Premiership season does not underpin Celtic’s motivation for tomorrow’s derby.

The Ibrox club have clinched league title number 55 and in doing so ended their Old Firm rivals’ aim of making it a recordbreaking 10 in a row.

Steven Gerrard’s side have won 28 and drawn four of 32 league games and are six games away from an invincible league campaign like Celtic achieved in 2016/17 season.

However, interim boss Kennedy – who stepped up from assistant manager when Neil Lennon resigned last month – is focusing only on his side putting a marker down for the future.

Kennedy, who confirmed Celtic will not give their rivals a guard of honour tomorrow, 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.

“What has been in the past has happened, 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.”

Celtic skipper Scott Brown – whose contract is up at the end of the season – has been lined with a move to Aberdeen as player/assistant manager if Stephen Glass is appointed as the new boss at Pittodrie.

But Kennedy said his advice to Brown would be to concentrate on his playing career as long as possible.

He said: “He is the captain of a fantastic club like Celtic, he has had such a successful time so I wouldn’t be in too much of a rush to make that step if I am being honest.”