Brown: Bhoys will be ready for Champions League
By: Mark Henderson on 14 Jun, 2012 10:24
SCOTT Brown believes Celtic will be ready to hit the ground running for the crucial Champions League third qualifying round at the end of July.
It will be the Hoops´ first competitive fixture of the new campaign and they could face teams in the midst of their season who hold a substantial advantage in match sharpness.
However, the captain revealed the squad had been working on their fitness throughout the summer break with that game in mind.
"We do it every year," he said. "It´s always hard. There will be teams halfway through their season and at the peak of their fitness.
"But nowadays we all keep ourselves really fit and ticking over. We have programmes and heart-rate monitors to take away to make sure we have been doing our bit."
Brown enjoyed an excellent end to last season, helping Celtic clinch the title with some outstanding midfield displays.
Ankle surgery had curtailed his progress in the first part of the campaign and he´s hoping for an injury-free start to 2012/13.
"At the start of the season, I did my metatarsal and I didn’t come back for six to eight weeks. When I came back the lads were on a great run and it definitely helped my confidence.
The skipper also chipped in with several important goals last season on his return to the team. At the same time, he also served as a reliable plunderer of penalty kicks.
"Half of them were penalties – and it´s easier scoring from 12 rather than 20 yards!," he added. "But it was still good."
