Lee Naylor reckons that Celtic will face pressure this weekend in Dublin.
The ex-defender made his name with our upcoming opponents Wolves before transferring to Celtic in 2006.
The Englishman won four trophies during his time in Glasgow, including back-to-back Scottish Premier League titles.
He has been quoted on the official Wolves website in the lead-up to the Aviva Stadium fixture, and he reckons it’s a bigger game for Celtic than many people realise.
Naylor: “There’s no doubt this game is going to be a big crowd – Celtic in Dublin. I’ll be honest, everyone just wants a slice of Celtic in pre-season because of what they have got in terms of fan base.
“I remember one pre-season, we had 11 or 12 games. It’s a season in itself, but that’s what it is when you are the best Scottish team and with a fan base like they have, it just makes it even more special.
“There’ll also be a pressure on Celtic because of where it is. The Irish fans love it when Celtic come to town, so they will want to put on a show.
“I’ve played for Celtic in Ireland before and when you’re there you feel like you have to perform.
“There’s less pressure for Wolves, but it will still be a massive test for us because Celtic have got their way and they’ve got their players in who are following on from last season.
“They’re missing Jota, but they’ve got some very good players in the building.”
This year’s pre-season schedule has been a bit of a throwback to the days when Naylor played for the club.
Back then, we would regularly visit far-off countries like Australia, Japan and the United States. With Champions League qualification already secured it made sense to get away from Scotland and raise the profile of the club.
After years and years of qualifiers, those days have returned once again. Ireland will be Celtic’s third different country of pre-season so far, and we’re still to play in Scotland.
It’s been pretty cool stuff so far and the Dublin leg should feel even more homely than Japan.
Celtic will be backed by tens of thousands of supporters who don’t often get to see the team play in their land. Let’s hope they get to see a big performance.
In other news, the SPFL recently stepped in on a ticket dispute as the Celtic and Rangers allocation furore continues
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