By Alison McConnell

As Lubomir Moravcik paced the floor on Tuesday night he had cause to reflect that it is easier to play through anxiety than it is to watch.

The former Celtic midfielder was part of the 2001 Hoops team that took the club into the group stages of the UEFA Champions League for the first time under Martin O’Neill.

And just like Tuesday, that second leg was an antsy, nervous night with the good work all done in the opening leg where Celtic had blown Ajax away with a mesmeric performance in the Amsterdam Arena.

“I was watching it on the internet and I have to say I was scared,” laughed Morvacik. “That last five minutes….it felt like a long time. The whole second half felt like a long time. I remember that night when we lost to Ajax 1-0 but we knew the job was done.

“It reminded me a little bit of that. We did not go out that night to win a game of football but to make sure we went into the Champions League and the game in Israel felt a lot like the same.

“But when the whistle blew I was so happy. It is a big achievement because I know how difficult it is to qualify for the completion.

“And now that they are there I know what it will mean to everyone.”

Once the post-traumatic stress had subsided yesterday, Celtic were able to survey the view.

And Moravcik can appreciate more than most just what Champions League football will do for the current crop of players at the club, many of whom are inexperienced at such a level.

The little Slovakian was entering the twilight years of his career when he got the chance to sample the demands of Europe’s elite competition and he believes that it will improve the likes of Kieran Tierney, Tom Rogic, Leigh Griffiths, Moussa Dembele and Erik Sviatchenko – none of whom have played Champions League football before.

“For the club it is great because of the economic benefits it brings,” said Moravcik. “That helps to stay the best in your own league. It also helps to bring other players to the club because everyone wants to play in the Champions League – even in England there are only a handful of teams who can give you that.

“But as players, it is about being there. It is a chance to play against the best. It is a chance to test yourself in Europe’s top competition, in games that are not like anything else.

“It is how you get better as a football player. This is still a young team with some experience in it. But these are players who will get better from learning at the very top level. There was a feeling for me when I was a player that my career would not have felt complete if I had not played in it. I think that is still there for a lot of players.

“I am also so pleased for the Celtic supporters. It felt like there was distance between them and the team last season. There were lots of empty seats and there was not a good feeling about the game but these games will be sold-out. It is a special place to play football on nights like that.”

Rodgers became Celtic highest paid manager in June when he arrived on a salary believed to be around the £45k a week mark. Following their passage into the group stages of the Champions League, the Parkhead hierarchy will feel vindicated in their decision to commit to such a significant outlay.

The money generated from their participation in the competition this season doesn’t just cover Rodgers’ appointment, but gives them the clout to add to what is already the best squad in the country.

Doubtless he will bring in at least one more player before the transfer window closes next week – and Moravcik believes that his signings so far will strengthen his hand to go back into the market.

“Moussa Demble, Scott Sinclair and Kolo Toure have all improved the team,” he said. “If he wants to spend again then he has shown that he can be trusted.

“I do think that Celtic look like a better team than last season. They looked stronger, not just physically but mentally too. They will need that if they are to make an impression on the Champions League.”

Making it into the groups stages feels like a celebration in itself given just how arduous the qualification process is, how exacting it is in the embryonic stages of a campaign. Yet, while the money generates an immediate feelgood factor, the fact remains that Celtic as a club also demands a certain level of participation.

“The thing is that you want to make a mark on the competition,” said Morvacik. “And Celtic Park responds to the occasion. The nights against Juventus and Porto were the most special of my career. They are the highest heights that you can climb as a player and you want to respond.

“You want to go out and prove that you deserve to be there. And if you do that then you get better and stronger as a group. Once these players get a taste of it they will always want to be in it.

“Why should they not aim to make the last 16? Who knows that can happen when you have belief. They are there and it is about making the best impression that you can. We were so unlucky that season because I think we finished with 9 points but still did not go through.”