JOHN KENNEDY has defended Celtic’s training camp in Dubai, and says that a picture showing Celtic manager Neil Lennon and club captain Scott Brown apparently drinking beer by the hotel poolside gave a misleading impression of the trip.

The Celtic assistant boss was adamant that the club followed all required protocols while out of the country, and he says that it was far from the holiday it may have been perceived to be back home.

Kennedy acknowledges that with the country entering lockdown, the timing of Celtic jetting off to the UAE may have provoked anger from some quarters, but he insists that when the decision was made to travel, it was taken having considered all government and Joint Response Group advice.

“I understand there was a snapshot arrived back in the shape of a couple of pictures and everyone assumes that being out there was a holiday,” Kennedy said. “But it was far from that and we know what it took to get there.

“We had to take extra care in terms of preparation. A lot of work went into it behind the scenes which people won't know about. It was planned months in advance.

“We took advice from the Government and JRG to make sure it was OK to travel, and it was all approved. All the protocols we put in place when we arrived in Dubai were also approved.

“So we knew what we were going into, there was a lot of work and effort put into it. And the training we could get done out there was second to none in comparison to what we could have done back in Scotland.

“We did it for the right reasons, in terms of what we could work on as a team and being ready for the second half of the season.

“But of course, there's an understanding there might be an image back here which is portrayed differently from the reality of the situation in Dubai.

“Also, we had a situation leading into it where we were good to go. But while we were there, the latest lockdown came into place. So that looks worse in itself when you're looking in from afar.

“We understand 100 percent that if you look at a picture, the perception might be different – it might look a certain way. But when we were over there, we had an area of the hotel designated to ourselves. We had our own entry and exit in and out of the hotel. We went to the training centre with first class protocols. We had an area to work, which was just for us.

“So we were working from morning to mid-afternoon very hard. Back at the hotel, we had our own areas which we would stay around.

“That was our bubble. In terms of what we got out of the week from a work point of view – it was very positive.

“We had some great sessions, long intense sessions. And we got a lot of coaching work done that we wouldn't have done back here. We know that from previous seasons.

“It was a challenge this year with Covid but with help from the club, the Government, the SFA, the hotel over there, it allowed us to do it.

“We got out there and got work done that we know will stand us in good stead for the second part of the season.”

Given Celtic’s stance that their week in Dubai had been approved by the government, were they surprised to learn then that they had come in for criticism from the likes of First Minister Nicola Sturgeon while away? And will they have something to say about that in good time?

“There's probably things getting fed back in bits and pieces,” said Kennedy. “But we'll correspond with the people who need to hear from us.

“We've sent a lot of stuff back through advisors and we took the advice of everyone to make sure we weren't stepping out of line.

“We did what we could to make sure we weren't breaking any rules or giving ourselves any problems.

“Football gets a lot of exposure in the media. It's easy to jump on something and criticise.

“But it's important that people get the full picture. There was a lot of effort put in to make sure we mitigated all the risks and adhered to all protocols.”

Having copped the flak for going to Dubai, Celtic must now make sure that it has been worth all the accompanying hassle by reaping the benefits on the field in the second half of the season, as they have done in previous years.

Kennedy is hoping in fact that the warm weather training will not only breathe new life into the Celtic players, but allow them to breathe new life into the title race.

“I understand there is a big points difference but it isn’t over until it is finished,” he said. “That has to be Neil and I’s and the players mindset for the rest of the season.

“We have a lot of ground to make up and a lot of challenges ahead of us but we will attack every game to win it. That is all we can do.

“Things have to work out for us elsewhere sometimes but we have to put ourselves in a position where we can get close enough to put Rangers under pressure. We know we are capable of putting a run of results together to do that.”