John Kennedy said focusing on the performances between now and the end of the season will be the key to Celtic yielding results in the league and Scottish Cup.

Celtic return to league action this Saturday (April 10) against Livingston at Paradise. The fixture is sandwiched between last weekend’s 3-0 Scottish Cup win over Falkirk and next weekend’s Scottish Cup fourth round tie against Rangers at Ibrox.

John Kennedy said the upcoming games were exciting for the squad and would ensure motivation remains high throughout the remainder of the campaign.

“These are the kind of games we all want to be involved in,” said the Celtic interim manager. “It’s one to look forward to. We have to address Livingston first and make sure we do well in that.

'Every game is important to the club. We know we need to win against Livingston. We’re a club that demands that and that sets us up well.'

Winning a fifth successive Scottish Cup will be a target for Celtic, and John Kennedy said that aim will help bring the best out in the team, not just in the Scottish Cup but the remaining league games as well.

“Having something to go and win is always good for motivation,” he said. “It’s good for us and gives us something to strive for. Regardless, we want to improve performances and go out and improve results in the league, but knowing there’s a bit of silverware at the end can give you that extra edge.

“You want to focus on the performance because that’s what will bring the points. In the moments when the performance isn’t quite there, it’s about the attitude and mentality to go and win games.

“That’s what we have to get back to, high-level performances with god attacking football, scoring goals and winning games. When things aren’t going to plan you need to show the mentality and attitude which a Celtic player needs to grind it out and get over the line. We want to bring that back, regardless of whether the league is done. The important thing is what we do every time we pull on the shirt and go out to represent Celtic.”

John Kennedy highlights performances as key to success in upcoming games