The Champions of Scotland returned to Lennoxtown on Friday (June 27) as preparations for season 2025/26 get underway. Brendan Rodgers’ men ended last season with a domestic double, and although the Scottish Cup final didn’t go the Bhoys’ way, it was another season of success for the Celts. That domestic success was accompanied by a good European campaign which saw the Hoops come within seconds of taking Bayern Munich to extra time at the Allianz Arena in the knockout round to reach the last-16 of the Champions League. Celtic TV were on hand to catch up with a few key figures at Lennoxtown on Friday afternoon, including Celtic Assistant Manager, John Kennedy who reflected on the positives of last season. Speaking to Celtic TV’s Daylin Docherty, Kennedy also touched on the benefits of having time off before turning on the intensity ahead of next season. “It’s nice to see everybody again and get back from the break,” he said. “It’s been a good break where we could reset, relax, get refreshed again and the boys have come in this morning in pretty good shape and excited for what’s ahead. “We all know the physical outputs are huge, plus the number of games they go through. ‘When you reflect on how last season went, the guys were superb, they put everything in to it.’ “We can look back on a lot of positives, take a lot from that and be positive going in to this season again. “It’s good to reflect on that and come back in with the same hunger and desire to be successful again because that’s what the club demands, there’s no let-ups.”The Celts return to match action this coming Friday (July 4) when they make the short trip to the South Side of Glasgow to face Queen’s Park at the City Stadium. That match is the first of the Hoops’ pre-season games, with matches against Cork City, Sporting Lisbon, Newcastle and Ajax still to come. And looking ahead to those matches, the Celtic Assistant Manager said that, whilst the champions will be looking to perform well and win, the focus of the management staff is on getting the players physically ready for the long campaign ahead. Kennedy added: “Our focus is always on the physical aspects early. Of course, you still want to perform and get the results. “Early on it’s very much about the physical aspects, returning to our game model, our intensities, making sure we get all the work in to the guys. “We don’t concentrate too much on the results, but in terms of how the players went through pre-season last year, the results, it naturally gives a bit of confidence. “So you want that to be a part of the process, it’s not absolutely vital that you go in and win all the games but there’s no harm in it either.” You can watch John Kennedy’s full interview on Celtic TV SUBSCRIBE TO CELTIC TV
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