Beale's Gers team aren't a patch on the one my Celts faced

SAYS MARTIN O'NEILL

- GORDON PARKS

WITH a trademark twinkle in his eye, Martin O'Neill takes a diplomatic stance on whether his _ Treble-winning Celtic side would leave the current team its wake.

The Irishman preferred to use the ' Lisbon Lions as flag bearers for Parkhead pedigree a week when Neil Lennon claimed the likes of Henrik Larsson, Chris Sutton, John Sutton and himself would have put Ange Postecoglous lot to the sword.

But there was a firm belief from the former Hoops boss the Rangers of today would be no match for the Light Blues from his time in Glasgow.

Whether Kyogo, Callum McGregor or Jota would have got in the class of 2003 that reached the UEFA Cup Final is a pub debate and O'Neill conceded the standard of the Premiership is a pale shadow from when he donned a tracksuit in the Parkhead dugout.

He said: Obviously I'm biased because I thought we had a really good team. Sometimes it’s difficult to assess. But like everything else, if youre talking about my old favourite word, the benchmark, then the best side Celtic have ever had was the European Cup team of 67.

“Until any Celtic side wins the European Cup again those comparisons or contrasts are going to be a bit far-reaching, aren't they?

“But I thought we had a terrific team, a really good side, very strong. And we had to be strong because Rangers were really good.