JOHN COLLINS last night insisted Celtic don't deserve having to play three Champions League qualifying rounds.

And that the blame for the Parkhead side's unfair seeding lies not only with Uefa, but also with the other Scottish clubs who have flopped in Europe.

Celtic will discover on Monday who they face in mid-July in their first round of qualifiers. The likeliest teams Ronny Deila's men will take on, in what is a regionalised draw, are Welsh champions The New Saints, Crusaders of Belfast, Dundalk or Icelandic outfit Stjarnan.

And the assistant manager believes his team's recent European record should mean they skip the preliminary rounds.

Collins said: "I think it is a little bit unfair. Celtic, in the last decade, have done very well in Champions League qualifiers.

"I find it unfortunate that we have been, how do I put it, held back by the coefficient points accumulated by the rest of the Scottish teams.

“We have kind of been punished for that, which is unfair when you consider some of the special nights Celtic have had in the Champions League. I don’t think it’s a fair system.

"I think it should be a club system rather than a country system.

“I think 100% it’s not fair and maybe in the future that’s a discussion which can be had with UEFA and that can be changed.

“It benefits the bigger countries which I don’t think is fair.”

Collins admitted he has not read up on who Celtic might get, but from the moment the players return for pre-season training next week, all his focus will be getting the club into what he calls the best football competition of them all.

Collins said: "The Champions League is the ultimate football tournament. In my opinion it’s even better than the World Cup.

"It’s where everybody wants to be as a player, as a coach, as a manager, and the supporters.

“It’s a fantastic tournament with the best teams in Europe. Every television camera is focussed on it and that’s where we would love to be.

“I think it’s pretty straightforward. The teams in the Champions League are world selects. The Champions League teams are better than national teams.

“Real Madrid are a world select. Barcelona are a world select. They would beat Brazil because they have the best Brazilians and they have the best Argentinians.

"The reality is that the top Champions League teams are the best in the world.”

Collins believes that Virgil Van Dijk will still be at the club when the group stages begin, even if he rates the Dutchman as the best in his position in the whole of Europe.

Collins said: "Virgil is at a great club just now and if he keeps working hard and developing then I’ve no doubt that one day he’ll be at a top Champions League club - I’m talking about one of the mega names in Europe.

“I believe there is currently no better centre half in Europe than Virgil Van Dijk. I watch Champions League football, I watch Premier League football every week and Virgil is as good as anybody who is playing football in Europe.

“He has two years to go so there is no mad panic from our point of view about hanging on to him.”