CELTIC'S main focus in their final home game of the season was, for obvious reasons, the SPL.

Neil Lennon's side, winners for the second consecutive season, were presented with the league trophy after beating St Johnstone. And their jubilant supporters turned out in considerable numbers at Celtic Park to hail the achievement and celebrate.

Yet, events at Parkhead at the weekend were also hugely significant in terms of the William Hill Scottish Cup and the quest for a domestic double.

Firstly, and perhaps most importantly, club captain Scott Brown made his first competitive appearance in three months. He had not featured since the first leg of the Champions League last 16 showdown with Juventus way back on February 12.

The Scotland internationalist, who underwent surgery on a hip problem, looked fit and sharp during his time on the park and came through the outing unscathed.

It is debatable, given he was replaced by Georgios Samaras after little more than an hour, that he deserved the Man of the Match award which was bestowed upon him.

Many others in the Celtic team excelled – most notably Joe Ledley, Mikael Lustig and Charlie Mulgrew – as they ran out emphatic 4-0 winners. Nevertheless, Brown looks more than capable of contributing when his team take on Hibs at Hampden on Sunday week.

With central midfielders Victor Wanyama and Beram Kayal both suspended for that match, his comeback is timely and important for his club.

"He is amazing," enthused Lennon. "He has hardly played and was very rusty in training this week. But he looked fresh and his touch was good.

"Scott's strength of personality and what he brings to the team is very important to us. He is a huge figure and he looked good at the weekend.

"He is a really dynamic athlete with impressive cardiovascular capacity. That is a major component of his play. But, technically, he has got better, too.

"We saw all that at the weekend. With Victor and Beram out for the cup final, it is very good for us to have him back again."

Another positive development for Celtic ahead of their Hampden date was James Forrest returning to the starting line-up.

The young winger, dogged by niggling injuries during the 2012/13 campaign, had been absent from the first team for a few weeks.

Not that you would have realised if you had seen him perform with all his usual brio against Steve Lomas' side.

Forrest was immediately back to his irresistible best and the Perth club had no answer to his directness, pace and trickery.

Having the 21-year-old in the starting line-up against Hibs later this month will greatly increase Celtic's chances of success.

Lennon said: "He brings an extra dimension to our play. James can play any position across the midfield and do so very well.

"His burst of pace and close control are fantastic and he is really good with both feet. It was an exceptional display.

"More or less everyone is fit now. We have a cup final team in mind. But we want to go strong against Dundee United this Sunday. We will see where we are after that.

"I want two more performances like the one against St Johnstone on Saturday to finish off the season."

The absence of Rangers – who were consigned to the Irn-Bru Third Division – made the outcome of the SPL this season almost inevitable.

But it should be remembered the incredible off-field events of last summer in Scottish football were outwith Celtic's control.

And, while they drew seven and lost seven of their top-flight games, their margin of victory over Motherwell is still quite considerable.

They were, then, more than justified in enjoying themselves as they received the reward for their efforts home and away over the last 10 months.

The fact their great city rivals were not involved in the competition was certainly irrelevant to Lennon as he looked back on the season.

THE Celtic manager said: "They are days you want to cherish. It is important for the players to appreciate what they have done. It goes by very quickly."

Some fans have started singing of 10-in-a-row – a run of title successes that would exceed the joint-record streak achieved by Celtic in the 1960s and 1970s and Rangers in the 1980s and 1990s.

Lennon, though, understands that things can change in football, and anticipates that when the Ibrox club eventually return to the top flight they will present a formidable challenge.

"You can't take football for granted," he stressed. "Eventually, Rangers will come back and be strong opposition for us as they have been.

"Our next objective will be the third. That is why you must enjoy the achievements."

Lennon, who has been strongly linked with a move to Everton, spent yesterday looking at a signing target in action.

He is not, despite the unusual circumstances his second league win as manager was achieved in, taking the success Celtic enjoyed for granted.