Stephen McManus says Celtic’s players have returned in strong shape as the club step up preparations for the new season, with Ross Grant singled out for praise after bringing fresh ideas to the coaching staff.

The former Hoops captain, now part of the coaching staff, has been working with the squad during the early days of pre-season. With fitness work, testing and match minutes all part of the schedule, McManus believes the players have handled the first week well.

Asked how the early sessions have gone, McManus said: (CelticPlayer), “Yeah, really good. The boys have come in and worked really well.

“It’s been a tough week, it’s always the first week of pre-season, so there’s a lot of testing in the first day, but the boys have come in, as always our lads have come in, in really good shape. They’ve enjoyed the break and now they’re looking forward to the games coming back fast in pre-season.”

That will be pleasing for Celtic, with the squad needing to build sharpness quickly before competitive football returns. Pre-season has changed from the days of heavy running and longer summer breaks, but McManus says the aim remains straightforward.

He said: “It’s definitely evolved slightly. You don’t do as much long-distance running as we did, a lot of character running, but the principles still remain the same.”

For McManus, the key now is getting players ready for the opening fixtures without picking up avoidable problems along the way.

He said: “Nowadays it’s about players getting ready for the first game of the season, getting familiar with each other.

“The most important thing is getting minutes in your legs and within the games and staying injury-free.”

That last part will be vital for Martin O’Neill and his staff. Celtic have a league campaign to prepare for, but the Champions League qualifier will also be sitting high on the list of priorities.

McManus captained Celtic in the competition during his playing career, so he knows what those nights mean to the club.

He said: “That’s where we should be, that’s where we always aspire to be. You want to be playing the biggest games.”

Celtic missed out last season, and McManus made it clear that the hurt from that setback has not been forgotten inside the building.

He said: “Obviously, last year was a tough one for everybody to take, so it’s really important that we put ourselves in the best position possible. It’s our playing staff to give us the best chance to get into the Champions League proper.”

McManus also spoke about the coaching staff, with Ross Grant arriving after Gavin Strachan’s move away from the club.

Set-pieces have become a bigger part of the modern game, and McManus was full of praise for the work Strachan did in that area.

He said: “I think it’s certainly an area that, as the game’s evolved over the last four or five years, the work that Gavin’s done with the set-players was incredible. He’s a top, top fella and a top, top coach, so Gavin’s going to be a big, big miss.”

Grant now comes in with a chance to make his own mark.

McManus added: “Ross has come in again with new ideas, fresh ideas, and he focused a lot on the set-pieces. We welcome him into the coaching staff and you can see that the qualities as a person, as a coach, that he’s going to bring. We’re excited to see how it goes.”

Celtic’s first job is simple enough on paper: get players fit, keep them healthy and build rhythm before the real pressure starts. McManus knows that work done now can shape how ready the squad are when the Champions League test arrives.