John Kennedy expecting Celtic 'reality' check as Hoops prepare for Champions League acid test

Celtic assistant manager John Kennedy says the Champions League group stage will provide a clear indication of where the Hoops are currently.

The former caretaker boss hasn't been far from headlines recently as he is linked with the vacant managerial role at Danish side FC Midtjylland. His full focus though will no doubt be on aiding Celtic's Premiership title defence and assault on the elite European group phase, which kicks off next month, with the Hoops to find out who they play on Thursday.

Kennedy sampled big nights on the continent as a player in green and white and has experienced several more as a coach. He knows there will be an increase in quality for manager Ange Postecoglou and his coaching staff to prepare the players for, but it's a challenge that will be relished. He told Celtic TV: "These are the games you see the reality of where you're at.

"Sometimes we dominate domestically and sometimes there's faults there that don't quite get shown up. But with these games, that's the difference.

"You have to be on top of your game. You need to continue to do what you do and test yourself against the best.

"That will show you where you're at. I've seen it many times as well where you're actually about to go up levels because playing against better opponents brings out your game even more.

"That's what we hope happens. It's certainly an exciting time for everybody to go and see these games once more."

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