Play-off draw could act as spur to 10-in-a-row: Boyd

Hoops await Champions League qualifying opponents

Celtic will find out today who their opponents will be when the draw for the first and second qualifying rounds of the Champions League is made at Uefa’s headquarters in Switzerland.

The Premiership holders will be seeded, avoiding big guns Red Bull Salzburg, Malmo, BATE Barisov and Legia Warsaw.

Instead they could face Zrinjski Mostar of Bosnia and Herzegovina, IFK Mariehamn of Finland and Latvia’s Spartaks Jurmala, the Republic of Ireland’s Dundalk or F91 Dudelange from Luxembourg.

However, former Celtic skipper Tom Boyd reckons that every other Scottish club will he hoping they fail to get through the play-offs – because they can’t afford the financial gap between Celtic and themselves to become a chasm.

Celtic have already won six successive titles and Boyd insists that if they can match the £30m they earned last year in reaching the group stage of club football’s most money-spinning competition, it will make it impossible for their domestic rivals to stop them from going on to rack up a record 10 in a row.

“That’s fairly obvious,” he claimed. “I think we’ve seen the impact of investing in a very good manager and him getting backed to bring in players of quality.

“We’ve all seen the results of that on the park. Whether the team can go through another season unbeaten again is another question. It’s so tough but it’s going to take a lot to stop Celtic.

“Celtic are in a very strong position right now. It’s been a long, hard slog to get there but where the club is just now is great.

“There’s a very attractive brand of football. It would be nice if we could get a lot more teams able to match that but it’s difficult.

“Qualifying for the group phase could secure 10 in a row. It’s very possible, especially if Brendan can improve the team again and bring in quality players.

“The impact Brendan has made has been incredible. There were players who looked like they were out of the picture before he came in and they’re now automatic starters. That’s the impact with Brendan and he is just starting.

“He wants the team to compete in the Champions League. We got better with each game in the competition last season and learned a lot along the way.

“The club as a whole should be well prepared for it next season – as long as we don’t get that kind of tough group again.

“As a supporter, I didn’t want last season to finish but the players all need a rest after a very hard but very rewarding campaign.