Scott Brown believes that he is fitter and ever for the season ahead.
During the summer the Celtic skipper celebrated his 33rd birthday but more importantly had no international commitments.
After playing in 58 matches last season friendlies in Mexico and Peru were the last thing that Brown needed.
This season he can look forward to regular breaks when the international fixtures come around with the midfielder feeling on top of the world as another domestic campaign gets underway.
“My fitness levels are not a problem,” he told The Daily Record. “It’s just a question of avoiding injuries and making sure I keep ticking over every week.
“The games seem to help me, I get stronger and stronger as they go on. Last year I felt great all the way through the season. I looked after my body well in the summer and came back in better nick than I was at the end of the year.
“I couldn’t come back much worse than I did a few years back! The numbers were similar this year to last year.”
Brown’s next task is to steer Celtic past Rosenborg with the hoops taking a 3-1 lead into the return leg in Norway.
No Scottish player has played in more European ties than the Celtic skipper who has helped steer the hoops through the qualification process in each of the last two seasons.
While Brown is fit and well the hoops will be without Moussa Dembele, Leigh Griffiths, Dedryck Boyata, Nir Bitton, Mikael Lustig and Jozo Simunovic for the return match against Rosenborg.