Dedryck Boyata hopes Celtic can make it through to the Champions League group stage to finally ease the pain of last year’s fall at the final hurdle.

The defender, who made his first appearance of the season in Saturday’s International Champions Cup match against Inter Milan in Limerick, revealed he did not sleep for almost a weeks after losing to Malmo in the play-off round last August.

Now it is Israeli champions Hapoel Be’er-Sheva standing in Celtic’s way and Boyata hopes this time the Parkhead club can make it through to banish those bad memories.

Read more: Ryan Christie: Celtic desperate for real deal after summer tests against Barcelona and Inter Milan

He said: “The game on Wednesday is huge for us because the Champions League is a big goal for us. We are at the same stage as we reached last year when we were eliminated and that was really painful. I don’t want to this to happen again. No-one wants it to happen.

“I think what happened to us last year can become a big strength for us this year. The pain we had, the feeling we had was so painful. It was the first time I had been in that position to qualify and I can tell you that I did not sleep for four or five days after the game against Malmo when we went out.

Read more: Ryan Christie: Celtic desperate for real deal after summer tests against Barcelona and Inter Milan

“I definitely do not want to have that feeling again. None of us do. While I was doing my rehabilitation, I was watching everyone while working really hard myself and I could see that everybody was so motivated. We know it is going to be hard. It would be against anyone, but we must win.”

Injury kept Boyata out of this summer’s European Championships and admitted Belgium changing their manager after the finals caught him on the hop. He added: “Roberto Martinez was a big surprise for us. Of course, I don’t really know the manager as a person, but he did good things with Everton, so we know he is a really good manager and can make our national team better.”