SCOTT Brown pointed to the closeness of the Celtic squad as a key factor behind the recent success and said that bond, coupled with the hunger to win, will be crucial in Sunday’s League Cup final.

Neil Lennon’s side are preparing for Sunday’s final against Rangers as they aim to lift the trophy for the fourth consecutive year. Brown has won the League Cup five times with Celtic, and those experiences have left the 34-year-old with a greater understanding of what it takes to win at Hampden when the pressure is on.

“It’s one of those ones, a cup final, you never know what could happen,” said Brown. “It’s about whoever turns up on the day and we need to make sure we’re ready and focused for that game.

“It’s always going to be a hard, no matter who you’re playing. We’ve done really well, we’ve struggled in some games and gone behind, but we’ve always come back. It’s that beliefwe’ve got and we need to make sure we’ve always got it, whether it’s against Hamilton, Hibs or anyone.”

As well as having the belief to win, Brown said the Hoops squad had a belief in one another and that bond amongst the players has made them stronger.

“We’re all very close in the dressing room and want to win, and for each other to play well,” he said. “All the lads who are injured come along and speak to everyone in the changing room before the game. That’s what a good squad does.

“We just need to make sure everyone is fit going into to a cup final. There’s a lot of places up for grabs and the manager’s got a hard decision to pick 11 players. It’s about making sure the performance is good in training over the next couple of days to make sure you’re available for Sunday.

“Wee Lewis has been unbelievable in the last couple of weeks. HIs pace, his willingness to run and close things down is maybe something no one else can do. It shows you the strength and depth in the squad. We might have to use it, because you never know who’s going to be fit. We’ll look at that in the next couple of days.”

Scott Brown: Togetherness of Celtic squad is key to our success