Celtic's majority shareholder Dermot Desmond has spoken for the first time about recent events in Scottish football and says that Rangers’ situation did not affect thinking at Parkhead.
Desmond has presided over a period of financial stability at Celtic Park at a time when Rangers have been troubled by off-field events. However, he does not expect a long wait before the Glasgow rivals are competing against each other in the top flight.
“Our attitude has always been that we can only control our own affairs and concentrate on our own affairs,” he explained.
“Anyone else’s affairs are for their own doing and their own making. Celtic is what I get up in the morning thinking about and what I go to bed thinking about.”
However, he said that the size of the Ibrox fanbase was a factor in what he believed would be the rise of Rangers in the next few years.
“Rangers is a fantastic club with a great history,” he said. “With the support that they have, they will come back.
“They will, in not too long a time, be back in the SPL. I have no doubt about that.
“They’re needed for Scottish football because of their following and the size of the club and especially their history.”
Desmond said that Celtic were benefiting from financial stability but that he would not change a prudent approach in the transfer market.
“I think that’s [down to] the executive and the prudence and direction of the board,” he said. “That’s been our plan, what I call ‘Mr Micawber economics’, that we’re just balancing revenues and expenditure.
“We’ll continue to do that and we won’t be bullied into overspending.”
