Rangers legend Walter Smith predicts Celtic matching his achievement of nine league titles in a row will spur on his former side next season.
Neil Lennon's side were crowned on a points-per-game basis after the coronavirus pandemic meant the Premiership season couldn't be completed.
They became the third team to achieve the Nine in a Row feat following Jock Stein's Celtic in the 1960s and 70s and the Rangers team of the late 1980s and 90s managed by Graeme Souness and, later, Smith.
And while the former Gers boss appears to aim a dig at Celtic's achievement, he has urged the Ibrox club to use it as motivation.
Smith said on Sky Sports: "Hopefully it will spur them on.
“I don’t think there’s any doubt that for Rangers theye've had a lot of years now where Celtic have been uppermost in the league and had a really good team.
"They've managed to win nine championships in a row ... well, eight championships in a row and now this one for the ninth.
"I think we’re in strange times. We’re looking at all the smaller countries in Europe have decided to finish their leagues, and do the same thing as we’ve done in Scotland so therefore I think whether we like it or whether we don’t we just have to accept it get on with it.
"And hopefully Rangers, who have been making progress under Steven Gerrard over the last couple of seasons, can get together and try and prevent Celtic getting 10."
The Hoops are now going for a 10th title in a row, something no club has achieved in the Scottish top flight.
Rangers won the title in 1974-75 to stop Celtic at nine, before Smith's men were halted at the same point by their city rivals in 1997-98.
Smith recalled: "Celtic when we were at nine in a row, Celtic won the 10th, they celebrated and we were disappointed.
“They had great celebrations for one in a row, that was it. That’s the way it is in Scotland. That’s going to be that way next season.
"And Steven and the people that run Rangers will know that and hopefully they can have the same reaction as Celtic had to Rangers in doing that.
“But you can’t take away from the fact that Steven’s doing a really good job.
"They’ve shown this season they can challenge, they just had that blip after the break, and hopefully next season that challenge can bring a tangible result for them at the end of the day."
