BERAM KAYAL today urged Neil Lennon's squad to remain at Parkhead and star in the Champions League again next season.

The SPL champions were eliminated from the competition after a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Juventus last night as a place in the quarter-finals proved one step too far for the Parkhead club as they went out of the tournament on the back of a 5-0 aggregate scoreline.

But Kayal is ready to go again next season – and urged Celtic's Euro stars to stay together. He said: "Hopefully everyone can stay and we can try again next season because it has been a great experience. I don't think it will be very easy for us to do all this again as we will face difficult qualifying matches again.

"However, I think we have performed very well in Europe this season.

"We have played very well and our achievements have brought pride to not only Celtic but Scottish football.

"It has been a fantastic time for all the players and our supporters. It has been great to get as far as the last 16.

"Now I'd like to do it all again. It is sad that this journey is over for us but hopefully we can begin a new one next season."

Meanwhile, Lennon revealed Efe Ambrose was disciplined for being late for training yesterday morning ahead of last night's match.

The Nigeria international missed the team bus from the hotel and had to catch up by taxi.

In the event, Ambrose replaced the injured Victor Wanyama for the start of the second half when the visitors were behind to an Allesandro Matri goal, before Fabio Quagliarella notched the second in the 65th minute as the spirited Parkhead men were again punished for a lack of concentration.

Lennon was in no mood to expand upon the Ambrose incident, saying: "There was disciplinary action taken against him, but it wouldn't have affected the team selection tonight."

The manager acknowledged the gulf in quality between the two sides.

He said: "We played really good football, had good spells in either half and we missed what I think were very good chances to get back into the tie.

"Quality counts and that was the difference between the two teams over both games.

"It would be a travesty for these young players not to progress their careers after achieving so much and having played against some of the best players and teams in the world.

"But it is going to be very difficult to keep them.

"Some of them want to progress their careers maybe out of Scotland and it is difficult to stop that progression."