As he gears up to return to the Champions League stage, Brendan Rodgers is determined to boost Celtic's standing in Europe.
During his prior tenure at the club in 2016 and 2017, the newly hired Hoops boss had two chances to compete in the top competition on the continent, but each time only managed to score three points.
Under Ange Postecoglou, the Hoops only gained two points when they returned to the Champions League group stage last season.
Rodgers acknowledges that the competition is a hard task for any Scottish club, but he thinks Celtic can improve their competitiveness.
You must make sure that you have supremacy in Scotland because that is always your bread and butter, he continued. "However, I'd like to believe that Europe can take action.
Even if that presents a barrier in terms of the resources other teams in Europe have, it presents a significant challenge for us since it has been well documented over the years when the club hasn't qualified (for the Champions League) or hasn't had a fantastic record in terms of European football.
"We hope to have European football after Christmas; that will be a huge challenge for all of us. We have Champions League football this season."
Even stumbling into the latter stages of the Europa League would be an improvement over prior campaigns, but Rodgers would love to take Celtic to the round of 16 of the Champions League.
We are all aware of the difficulties that the Champions League presents, so for a Scottish side, progressing to the knockout rounds is a significant accomplishment."There are competitions now where, with that little bit of luck and quality, you can go a long way when you go into Europe."For us, completing a certification phase is important in order to evaluate where it can lead. We must accept that Europe presents a significant challenge for us.
The fan favorite has slipped down the pecking order since Reece James's rise to prominence and nearly left Chelsea last year when Barcelona showed interest, only to accept a new contract at Stamford Bridge.
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