Celtic will 'fancy a bit of' Champions League rivals as Phil Jones leads purring pundits in confident prophecy

Former Premier League duo Ashley Williams and Phil Jones reckon Celtic will be absolutely delighted with their Champions League draw.

And both pundits are confident that the Hoops have what it takes to progress to the knockout rounds. At Thursday's glamour draw in Monaco, Brendan Rodgers' men learned the seven opponents they will face in the newly revamped league phase of Europe's première club competition. The Hoops have landed home ties against RB Leipzig, Club Brugge, Young Boys and Slovan Bratislava and will be on the road against Borussia Dortmund, Atalanta, Dinamo Zagreb and Aston Villa.

Rodgers will be hoping to lead the Parkhead club to the knockout rounds of the Champions League for the first time since the 2011/12 season. The top eight teams in the league phase progress to the last 16 immediately with the sides placed 9-24th then going into a play-off to make up the remaining spots. The teams ranked 25-36th in the league standings are eliminated from the tournament.

Former Wales and Everton star Williams sees no reason why the Hoops can make their mark in the competition. He said: "We know that their fans travel in great numbers and do the club proud. If I was a Celtic player after that draw now I'd fancy a bit of those fixtures because they are winnable games. I am over the moon for Villa and Celtic."

Former Manchester United and England centre back Jones agreed with his fellow pundits assessment and believes the Hoops can channel the spirit of one famous European triumph into the coming campaign on the continent: "Absolutely. Celtic will probably be remembering the famous night against Barcelona when they beat them.

"They'll be hoping they can replicate that atmosphere inside Celtic Park. Borussia Dortmund