Wednesday 8 June 2016 18:16, UK
Tom Boyd has warned Celtic fans not to expect immediate improvement under new manager Brendan Rodgers.
Rodgers will attempt to kick-start his managerial career in Scotland with the reigning champions, who eased away from Aberdeen in the closing stages of the 2015-16 to give Ronny Deila a second title before he departed.
The appointment has gone down well with supporters, with season tickets selling quickly when they were made available earlier this week, but Boyd has warned against over-confidence.
"Brendan's arrival has rekindled the fires of so many supporters. This optimism is something I didn't think I'd see but that shows you the board have certainly made the right choice," former Celtic captain Boyd said.
"The supporters are loving it. They are really looking forward to the season. We've not had this level of enthusiasm at the start of the season since Martin came in.
"Hopefully we'll have the same kind of feelings come the end of the season like we did back then.
"Back then, the impact Martin had was instant. But he was afforded the chance to bring in players of the highest quality from down south. Guys like Chris Sutton were championship winners in England.
"Do the fans need to be more patient this time? Only time will tell on that. It all depends on the reaction the manager gets from the players. Will they respond to the challenge of playing for a new manager and the fresh opportunities?
"I'm a supporter like everybody else and we all want it to be like the Martin O'Neill years. We want instant success. But it is for Brendan to work out who will come and go and we will leave it to him to decide."
Boyd expects plenty of changes on the playing side at Celtic Park, with a number of players already appearing to be on their way out and others attracting interest.
"I think we've got rid of Carlton Cole while Kazim-Richards is also in the process of leaving," said Boyd. "There will be others, that is without question.
"He might decide to give some of these guys a chance.
"We've seen the impact a change of manager can make on a player. I think back to Martin's time and in particular the reaction he got from Bobby Petta. The new manager gave him confidence and it transformed him.
"I'm sure Brendan will also be able to unearth a few gems. Some of the best players we've had at this football club have been brought in by managers who knew of them when few others did.
"The best examples of that were Henrik Larsson and Lubo Moravcik, so I would hope Brendan would have quite a few like that who he could bring in to enhance the squad."
