AFTER 54 games, and another rollercoaster ride of fortune and emotions, season 2011-12 is finally over for Celtic.

Of course, everyone at Parkhead wishes it could run for one more week, as that would signify they had reached the Scottish Cup final.

But to sign off with another comprehensive win before finally getting the long-awaited opportunity to lift the SPL trophy provided a fitting and satisfying conclusion to a year which, for everyone associated with the Parkhead club, had some very low lows, matched by some very high highs.

To finish on the summit was the aim when the campaign kicked off back in July. Indeed, it has been the target for Neil Lennon since he as appointed manager in March 2010.

The climb back from the abyss of being uncompetitive to which they had been led by Tony Mowbray during 10 tortuous months in charge has not come without pain.

But today, standing on top of the podium as the prizes are handed out, all that agony has been filed under 'experience' and will be put to good use in future campaigns.

The last Celtic manager to lift the SPL trophy, Gordon Strachan, always maintained that what didn't kill you made you stronger.

That being the case, Lennon and his players should look forward to the future with the power of Samson, and possibly, for good measure, a little of the wisdom of Solomon.

It has been a massive learning curve, and at times the direction of travel was not upwards.

Lennon and the players he has assembled – through good scouting allied to a necessary element of gambling, due to the market place in which he was shopping – have emerged as worthy champions.

Their title is untainted, has full value and stands comparison to most, and ahead of those which now have a question mark against them as a result of financial matters still to be resolved.

Even allowing for a 10-point deduction against Rangers' tally, from 15 points behind and in third place in the table on the bleak morning of November 6 to 20 points clear when the last game ended confirms the transformation which has taken place within Celtic over the course of the last seven months.

More games won than any other team. More goals scored, fewer conceded. An impressive 93 points gathered, one more than last term, when they just lost out.

It all adds up to a job well done and a title well won – and deserved.

The cornerstone of this success was Lennon's steadfast refusal to panic, even when many in the stands had started to fear the worst.

He believed he had the players and the game plan to get back into the race and into pole position.

What Lennon did not know for sure was that he had the managerial acumen to make it happen.

Now he does know, and can call himself a Celtic manager who brought a league title to Parkhead.

The manner of this win is what makes it even more special. And, as he celebrated with his players after the trophy was finally brought back to Celtic Park after a four-year absence, Lennon took a precious moment to reflect on the journey he and his Bhoys have taken.

He said: "I think the turnaround was, in the opinion of most people, remarkable.

"We just needed to find a level of consistency, and the 17-game winning run we had from the start of November cemented that.

"As an individual, it was a real desperate time. You ask yourself questions every day. Do you have the managerial skill to do it?

"But, I enjoyed it, believe it or not, being in that thick end of it."

Lennon went on: "I enjoyed it even more coming out of it because I know that, if I go there again, I have been there and can come out the other side."

The soul-searching, which was shared by Lennon's trusted lieutenants, Johan Mjallby, Alan Thompson and Garry Parker, took the manager to places in his mind he perhaps did not know existed.

The strength of character he showed throughout his time as a player helped him, but he admitted: "You learn things about yourself.

"I always remember talking to Mark McGhee about a manager's job, and I said, ''Mark, I don't know if I am ready'.

"He said, 'Look, you never know if you are ready'.

"What is the finished article, as far as managers are concerned? The parameter is Sir Alex Ferguson, but there are not many who will ever get to that level again.

"So, I would be delighted to get anywhere near what Martin O'Neill and Gordon Strachan achieved here. And I know I have a lot of work ahead of me to do that."

The current manager can at least take satisfaction from knowing he has reached the first stage by gravitating to the position of a championship-winning boss.

The priority now switches to defending that title, and the energy which comes with having broken Rangers' three-year stranglehold on the prize will serve them well.

However, we operate in very uncertain times, with the future of the club who historically provide the greatest challenge still clouded in the kind of business jargon which leaves football managers and players cold.

Lennon is taking the very wise approach of anticipating another full-blooded battle for the title when next season kicks off in August, and is planning to proceed with squad strengthening.

Indeed, he confirmed a £3million offer for a player is under consideration by an unnamed club, an indication of how seriously they are treating the business of attempting to take this team to another level.

There will be no complacency because Lennon is acutely aware how easy it is to slip back.

The way the respective fortunes of the Old Firm clubs have swung in the past few months is the ultimate proof of the need to remain fully focused on what you are doing, and the need to improve in every aspect of your club.

He said: "We had to work very, very hard to achieve this.

"Listen, winning games, let alone championships, is really difficult, and we appreciate the players' efforts.

"There is a realisation of what they have achieved. But you never know what's around the corner in football, so we can't be complacent. We have to keep looking ahead.

"Enjoy the day and what comes with it, and then, from my point of view, start planning again."

It's a process which has already begun.