Lennon urges his players to cast negative influences out

Lennon was referring to the situation surrounding newco Rangers and the rejection of their application to the Clydesdale Bank Premier League, with Celtic’s Old Firm rivals still unsure of which level of the Scottish Football League ladder they will enter this campaign.

Reigning champions Celtic were one of many SPL clubs to vote against Rangers’ admission into the top flight but Lennon is keen to put the issue behind him and wants the fans to do the same.

“We cannot let outside negative influences dictate the mood at Celtic. We are very optimistic and we are very much looking forward to the season but we need our fans right with us,” he told the club’s official website.

“We are now looking forward and not back, we have a vibrant young team, I want to progress this team as far as I can, but we cannot do this without the fans’ support.

“We must now move with a collective unity between the supporters and the club and the team. We enjoyed that unity last season and we now need this to continue more than ever.”

Reports have suggested that Celtic’s financial stability is reliant on their Glasgow neighbours, something the club itself has rebuffed, but Lennon admitted everyone needs to do their bit and implored supporters to keep following the team.

He said: “We now know what the situation is and where we are and it is a situation we must now deal with. We need to stand strong, shoulder to shoulder and all work together to continue to move the club in the right direction.

“We will need the supporters to be right behind the team. We want as many as possible to come back to the club, take their seats at Celtic Park and invest in the club as much as possible.”

Celtic are currently in Germany preparing for the upcoming season and one player on the trip has already outlined his immediate targets.

Wales international defender Adam Matthews is hoping to build on his first season at Celtic Park and establish himself as a member of Lennon’s first team.

This time last year, the Welshman was the new Bhoy trying to settle into both a new club and a new country. Though only 19 years old when he left Cardiff City, former team-mate Joe Ledley was already at Celtic, so it didn’t take long for him to find his bearings. Being thrown into a pre-season trip to Australia didn’t help him find his feet in Scotland, but after a successful first season, he’s looking forward to this summer’s fixtures.

“I feel like I established myself in the squad last year so hopefully I can do it again this season,” he told the club’s official website. “Last year the boys made me feel welcome straight away so I didn’t really feel like the new boy. But I’ve been with them for a year now so I’m a bit more comfortable.”

Matthews won’t play in Celtic’s friendly against Augsburg this evening, because of a hamstring niggle, but has his sights focused on a speedy recovery.

“Hopefully it won’t keep me out too long,” he said. “I started running today, so hopefully I’ll be back in full training at the end of the week or the start of next week.”

Celtic have a string of glamorous friendlies in the coming weeks and Matthews is looking forward to taking on Ajax, Real Madrid and welcoming Inter Milan to Celtic Park.

“It’s more about football fitness at this time of the year,” Matthews continued. “Last week we did a lot of running but this week we can get some work done on the pitch. That’s more enjoyable for the boys. You work hard but you play football at the end of it.

“I think all the boys are fit but it’s all about getting back to match fitness now. These games will help us get sharp. We want to win them, but it’s not the main thing just now.

“I think the travelling took a lot out of us last year. We were away for a long time too and it might have been one of the factors we struggled at the start of the season. But this summer we’re in Germany and we can concentrate on our own game and get ready for the new season. We have a lot of exciting games coming up.”