STUART ARMSTRONG is urging Celtic to get over the title finish line in quick-fire fashion - by winning it with the swagger of champions.

 

The Hoops' 3-0 Tannadice win over Dundee United restored their eight-point gap on nearest rivals Aberdeen.

Celtic play Dundee on Friday night and, assuming they win the game, could be crowned champions depending on Aberdeen's result against Dundee United the following day. But Armstrong wants Celtic to be crowned on their own merits rather than rely on Aberdeen to drop points.

He said: "I think we would probably prefer to go out and do it ourselves but the bottom line is simply that we win it," he said.

"It is an amazing feeling to know that we are so close to winning the title. It is obviously something completely new to myself and Gary Mackay-Steven but I can't wait to get over the line and get my hands on it.

"It will be a brilliant feeling but I think that we know we can't afford to forget that we still need to win the games that are in front of us."

The midfielder acknowledged that the disappointment of last week when Celtic's Treble ambitions came to an abrupt halt was one of the hardest things in his career.

However, he has pointed to the manner in which Celtic have moved on as testimony to the character within the team.

"It was a really tough start to the week," he said. "It is sore to take. But when you are at a club of this size you can't afford to allow yourself to dwell on it.

"Things move very quickly and it says a lot about the character in the team that we have come through it with six points out of six.

"We are back up against Dundee now on Friday night and hopefully we can get the three points which would ask the questions of Aberdeen."

Meanwhile, Armstrong reckons the sky's the limit for team-mate Leigh Griffiths after his hat-trick put Dundee United to the sword yesterday.

Former Tannadice midfielder Armstrong has applauded the contribution of Griffiths, who took his tally of goals to 18 after his display in Dundee and insisted that the player can still get better.

Armstrong said: "I am just pleased that he is playing with us and not against us. Leigh and I played together at under-21 level so I have always had an appreciation of what he brings to a team.

"But until you are playing with him week in, week out it is hard to see just how clinical he is.

"That is the second time he has scored a hat-trick for us this month and you can see just how high his confidence is just now. You get the feeling that he can score every time he walks out onto the park.

"He has worked really hard and I think you can see that paying off now. He is still young and I think he has already shown that he is capable of scoring goals at the very highest level for Celtic."