Forrest raves about the ability of Kieran Tierney amid Arsenal link

Celtic attacker James Forrest has said that Kieran Tierney can be regarded as one of the best left-backs in the world despite plying his trade in a lower league. The Scotland international has racked 170 appearances for the Hoops since graduating through the youth ranks and his progress has caught the eye of several elite clubs including Arsenal, who have made an approach to recruit him this summer.

Speaking to reporters, Forrest was full of praise for his teammate and stated that Tierney is up there with some of the best full-backs in the world. He added that there is nothing similar between Tierney and Liverpool’s AndrewRobertson, and Scotland are blessed to have both players in their squad, he said:

Neil Lennon praises fans after Celtic lift an eighth straight Premiership title

Celtic’s interim boss Neil Lennon praised the fan atmosphere over the weekend as the Hoops lifted the Premiership title for the eighth straight year. The Glasgow giants never looked in doubt of losing out on the crown this term and they eventually ran out as the clear winners with a nine-point gap over Old Firm rivals Rangers.

Speaking to reporters, Lennon was pleased to guide the team towards yet another league success and said that the atmosphere reminded him of the previous sting he was at the club, he said: “It felt like the Celtic Park I know. It was beautiful, the atmosphere and everything today. The performance and connection between the players and fans rolled back the years for me.”

Lennon suggests Tierney may require surgery on a groin problem

Celtic’s interim boss Neil Lennon has indicated that Kieran Tierney may need an operation in order to rectify a groin problem. The Scotland international has been carrying the injury over the course of the campaign, but Lennon suggests that the left-back may have to go under the knife when the season comes to a close.

Speaking after the club’s goalless draw against Hibernian, Lennon acknowledged that the Scot will be visiting a specialist in the near future to assess the severity of the problem. He added that the young defender may require a surgery, although the club are determined to delay the same until the end of the season, he said: “He is a bit sore, he is going to see a specialist this week to get a clear indication of where he is. He may require surgery but we are trying to hold that off until the end of the season.”

Agent dismisses prospects of Europa League-winning manager joining Celtic

The agent of Andre Villas-Boas has indicated that the 41-year-old has no plans of returning to management with Celtic in the near future. The Hoops are currently under the guidance of interim boss Neil Lennon after the departure of Brendan Rodgers and they are expected to pursue another experienced head coach at the end of the season.

A recent report from the Scottish media suggested that Villas-Boas could be one of the high-profile managers in contention for the managerial vacancy this summer, but his representative Jean-Paul Lares has dismissed any hopes of that happening, he said: “André will not be working in Scotland in the foreseeable future and will not be available for comment.”

Paul Hartley says Celtic could end title race by beating Rangers

Former Celtic ace Paul Hartley believes Rangers face a must-win game against the Hoops this weekend, given their current position in the league standings. Steven Gerrard’s side are currently 10 points behind their Old Firm rivals at the top of the table and Hartley suggests that anything less than a win at the weekend could end their title prospects.

Speaking to Sky Sports News, the former Hoops midfielder said that the Gers have no choice other than go for maximum points, given the distance between them and their cross-town rivals. Should this not be the case, Hartley feels the Hoops will have the clear edge to secure an eighth successive Scottish Premiership title.

Celtic manager acknowledges team makes mistakes under Valencia

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has acknowledged that his team made a number of mistakes which contributed to the 2-0 defeat against Valencia on Thursday night. The Hoops had the opportunity to make the most of the home leg of the Europa League round of 32 but that did not happen with Los Che running out comfortable victors despite being dominated in the possession statistic.

Speaking after the game, Rodgers admitted that his side have plenty to learn from the Spanish giants, who managed to keep patience and pounce on the mistakes made by the Hoops. He added that concentration remains key for such encounters and they made things difficult for them in a disappointing night at Parkhead.

Oliver Burke keen on returning to the Scotland national team

Celtic’s winter signing Oliver Burke is determined to make a strong impression with the Scottish champions in order to break into the national team. The 21-year-old already has five caps with the Scotland national side but none of those have come in the past 18 months where he has struggled for consistency and gametime.

Speaking to reporters, Burke highlighted that he would like to restore his place with Scotland and he is eager to make the most of his opportunity with the Glasgow giants, he said: "I am really eager. It is something I have my eyes set on and I really want to be back involved with it but we will see what happens.

BBC Sport pundit says Celtic should revive interest in Scott McKenna

BBC Sport pundit Tam McManus has said that Celtic should retain their interest in Aberdeen centre-back Scott McKenna after failing with an approach during the summer transfer window. The Hoops were on the trail of the 22-year-old at the beginning of the season but a deal never materialised after Aberdeen slapped a £10m price tag on the defender’s head.

However, McManus has now revealed that the Hoops could land the centre-back for just half the value this month, although Aberdeen could have other plans on mind, he tweeted: “£5million for Scott McKenna would be a steal and a great bit of business for Celtic. Crying out for that type of centre-half for a while. I do think though if Aberdeen hold out until the summer someone in England would definitely pay more for him he’s perfectly suited to the English game.”

Brendan Rodgers has no excuses after Old Firm derby defeat

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has stressed that his team should have no excuses after they suffered their first Old Firm defeat to Rangers in nearly seven years. The Hoops had come into the game with a 12-match unbeaten run against their Glasgow rivals but they could not sustain the run after Ryan Jack netted the sole goal for Steven Gerrard’s side in the 30th minute.

Speaking after the game, Rodgers indicated that Rangers deserved to win the game after his team struggled to create chances with many players appearing off-key with the performances on the playing field, he said: “Rangers deserved to win. We didn’t play well. We made too many unforced mistakes. We had to make a couple of changes early on, which interrupts a wee bit what we want to do later on. But I’ve no real excuses. We’ve got players missing but on the day Rangers were better than us - 13th time unlucky, unfortunately. We just didn’t have a good game. You have to be humble when you win but also honest when you lose and the honest answer is they were better than us today.”

Gerrard: Remember the level after Celtic triumph

Rangers boss Steven Gerrard has told his team to ‘remember the level’ after they got the better of Celtic after 13 matches.

The Glasgow outfit had suffered disappointing results at the hands of their Old Firm rivals over the past seven years but they managed to end the streak with a 1-0 triumph after Ryan Jack found the scoresheet in the 30th minute.

Whilst Celtic had been heavily tipped to win, one bookmaker (Novibet) offered Rangers at double the odds to first time customers, and were stung when Rangers took the lead. You can visit them here and see their latest offers.

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