Lennon hails team after Champions League qualifications

Celtic manager Neil Lennon believes plenty of players will consider joining the club following their 2-0 win over Helsingborg last night which took them into the Champions League group stage, but first he wants to reward those who got the Hoops there for the first time since 2008/09.

Celtic manager Neil Lennon believes plenty of players will consider joining the club following their 2-0 win over Helsingborg last night which took them into the Champions League group stage.

He said that he first wants to reward those who got the Hoops there for the first time since 2008/09.

Goals by striker Gary Hooper and midfielder Victor Wanyama gave the Parkhead side a 4-0 aggregate victory over the Swedish club and confirmed their place in today's draw in Monaco.

Lennon is keen to bolster his squad in the next few days.

However, he will go to chief executive Peter Lawwell and ask for new deals for some of those who contributed to what he described as the best night of his managerial career.

"We will have a couple lined up and hopefully we can get the medicals done," the Irishman said.

"I don't know how many. My mind has been occupied for last night's game.

"There could be bundles coming in, all wanting to jump on the bandwagon but first and foremost my priority is to the players already here.

"I want to speak to Peter about rewarding some of them, maybe with new contracts. I think they have thoroughly deserved them.

"Some have played way beyond the expectation of them when we brought them in and we want to reward them.

"They have been very good for me so I want to be good for them."

Celtic will be in pot four for today's draw and Lennon will not mind being put in the same group as either Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea or Arsenal.

"That would be great," he said. "That gets the juices flowing, you know - the Battle of Britain.

"I have some great recollections of Liverpool and Manchester United over the time and it always create an extra bit of excitement."

Smiling, Lennon added: "If we can avoid Barcelona and Real Madrid, we might have half a chance. But it doesn't matter.

"I have no idea how we will do but for the players to play at the big table again is great.

"It will be very exciting. We will all be glued to the television.

"The expectation going into the game last night was huge. It won't be so big going into the group stages.

"So from that point of view the pressure is off."