The parallels of Brendan Rodgers’ introduction and Martin O’Neill’s arrival at Celtic have been there to see this summer in the excitement around the club, in the snaking season ticket queues as the Hoops support have turned out in their numbers to back the new regime at the club.

O’Neill did more than just galvanise the club when he first arrived; he slashed a 21-point deficit from the previous season while laying claim to a full domestic sweep, the last time Celtic achieved such a feat.

Tom Boyd was the man with his hands on those trophies when he and Paul Lambert collected them together and he believes that in many ways European progress now is more pressing that the challenge to reign supreme domestically.

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While winning the league will be the remit at the beginning of every season, getting the club into the UEFA Champions League now is a priority, particularly since that has been a failed return over the past two seasons.Glasgow Times: Tom Boyd enjoyed success at Celtic and is well qualified to dissect the current fare on offer at Parkhead

Celtic came within touching distance last summer only to implode at the final hurdle against Malmo with the second leg performance in particular a stain that began the blot of Ronny Deila’s time at the club coming to an end.

However, Boyd believes that Rodgers will bring consistency with him to Celtic and it is that which can be the key to gaining entry into Europe’s elite competition again.

Read more: Tom Boyd: Joey Barton is jealous of Scott Brown and wishes he was at Celtic

“Brendan’s target will be to win the league and continue the run we are on,” said Boyd. “That is the first target.

“Obviously, he also has to try to get to the Champions League, which is a big stage for Celtic with the money it does bring in. That would be the second target.

“Other targets would be bonuses. First and foremost, it is about winning the league and getting through the qualification for the Champions League.

“Hopefully, the standard of football and the consistency levels of all the players will also improve – other than Leigh Griffiths and Kieran Tierney, who did ever so well last season.Glasgow Times: Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has looked at Manchester City's Chidiebere Nwakali

“If the rest can come up to the standards of those two then I’m sure Celtic would certainly win the league next season and qualify for the Champions League.”

Boyd was entering into the final years of his playing career when O’Neill arrived at Celtic in 2000.

The Irishman was able to head into the club and entice top level players on top level Premiership wages up to Glasgow, but the modern-day equivalents of Chris Sutton, Alan Thompson and Neil Lennon are significantly out of Celtic’s reach now.

However, his ability to get players performing for him, of lifting a dressing room and of motivating players to give their all is a trait that various players who have worked under O’Neill have spoken of.

And Boyd believes that like O’Neill, Rodgers is a man who can get onto the training ground and improve the current squad that are at his disposal.

“It’s about trying to get that consistency of performance over the course of a season and that will be part of Brendan’s remit,” said Boyd.

“He can maybe do what Martin O’Neill did and make players better than they were before. You think back to guys like Bobby Petta. Maybe Brendan can do something similar.”Glasgow Times: Celtic manager Martin O'Neill admires the skills of star striker Henrik Larsson at training
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Meanwhile, Boyd has also maintained that the first arrow across the bow from Joey Barton this week will have fallen on deaf ears at Celtic.

The Parkhead side return for the beginning of pre-season training on June 20th. There will be a week at Lennoxtown before the club embark on a 12-day trip to Slovenia where they will play four games.

The Treble winning captain has dismissed any suggestion that the comments will have riled Brown up ahead of a season in which the two players will go head-to-head.

It will be intriguing to see Scott Brown and Barton go up against one another this season but Boyd dismissed the suggestion that it will have further motivated the Hoops skipper ahead of the start of the new campaign.

“Knowing Scott, he won’t even have read Barton’s comments about him and he certainly won’t worry about them. He’s the captain of Celtic and Scotland so comments from opposition players won’t get to him,” said Boyd.

“Scott doesn’t need anybody to wind him up or motivate him for any game at all. He’ll take all of this in his stride because he’s come up against bigger and better players than Joey Barton and come out on top.

“I wouldn’t say that Joey has underestimated the Scottish game. He’s a very smart lad and he’s just giving the media some ammunition for the season ahead.

“Ultimately, it’s just a bit of chat and, as I say, I think he’d rather be pulling on the hoops than the blue of Rangers.

“Of course, what he’s said has put more pressure on himself to perform but this isn’t the first time he’s said something controversial. I think he’s just missing the football.

“I think everyone is getting it. I heard he is having a go at the England manager as well. And his assistant.

“So I think he is just desperate for the football to get started again and is waiting for that. He probably hates close-season. Once the football starts, we will see what he can really do.”

*Tom Boyd was speaking as Celtic donated £7000 to the Glasgow Taxi outing.