STEPHEN McManus is long enough in the tooth to be able to shrug off the various kicks to those teeth that football tends to dole out.

The experienced 31-year-old has been around the block more times than a Monopoly board's top hat during a career that has taking in active service with Celtic, Middlesbrough, Scotland and now Motherwell.

This weekend, McManus returns to his old stomping ground of Parkhead as Well aim for a seventh-straight win in the league.

Squaring up to Celtic in their own backyard is always a daunting prospect but McManus, who lifted the Scottish championship title trophy as captain of the Hoops in 2008, is relishing another trip back to Glasgow's east end.

Since going down 5-0 at home to the Scottish champions at the start of December, Motherwell have hauled themselves up by the bootstraps and now sit in third place in the SPFL Premiership after a sizzling six-match winning run.

The mauling at Fir Park saw Motherwell hit rock-bottom but McManus is not one for dwelling on the bad times.

It's a good job, of course. During their sorry slump, there were a few low moments. The League Cup quarter-final loss to 10-man Aberdeen was a sickener, while the shock defeat to Lanarkshire neighbours Albion Rovers in the William Hill Scottish Cup caused more gut-wrenching.

Motherwell's players have demonstrated that they have the stomach for the fight, however.

McNamus said: "I don't think we have a point to prove against Celtic. They can do that to absolutely any team in the league on their day.

"They can be miles better than anyone but we will go their full of confidence and in good spirits and hopefully we can pick something up.

"A 5-0 defeat is sore for anyone, let alone defenders. But I've been in this game long enough to deal with it. When you're young, you're almost suicidal after a defeat like that.

"Don't get me wrong, a result like that still hurts but you get to this age in your career and you just pick yourself up and go again."

Motherwell have certainly done that over the past few weeks and McManus is enjoying the feel-good factor at Fir Park.

He added: "There's no secret to our success. It's just a good bunch of boys who work hard for each other.

"We have this good blend of youth and experience and the manager's been working hard too so we just have to keep going as best we can.

"We have experienced players who are not shy to voice their opinions after a 5-0 defeat. The manager had his say too but that's the good thing.

"We knew we weren't playing that well and we have sorted it.

"The dressing room is a good place just now. But it's been like that since I came in to be honest."

Celtic return to domestic duties this weekend after a warm-weather jaunt to Turkey.

McManus said: "They will have worked hard out there and we'll need to be at our best. We might need a bit of luck too. If we get that you never know."