John Kennedy admits Celtic’s Scottish Cup Final heartache took ‘shine off’ the club’s domestic dominance last season.
The Hoops No2, speaking as pre-season kicked off at Lennoxtown, insisted Brendan Rodgers’ side will use that disappointment as fuel to ensure success again in the next campaign.
He told Celtic TV: “It’s nice to see everyone’s face again. It’s been a good break. There’s been time to reset, relax and get refreshed again.
“The boys have come in in pretty good shape and they’re excited for what’s ahead.
“There’s both challenges in terms of the physical aspect. The demands of the game, we all know these days is huge, the physical outputs, plus the number of games they go through.
“The guys were terrific last year. I think the way it finished took the shine off it a little bit but once the dust settled and you reflect on how the season went, the guys were superb.
“They put everything into it. They came up short in the Final but the way we performed in the league, the League Cup earlier in the season and the Champions League, we can look back with a lot of positives.
“We can take a lot from that and be positive this season again. It’s good for them to reflect on that but at the same time they’ve had the chance to switch off and let their legs recover, let the mind recover and come back in with the same hunger and desire to be successful again.
“That’s what the club demands so we know there’s no let up.”
