Aberdeen 0-3 Celtic: Celtic secure eighth successive Premiership title and 50th in total

Right-back Mikael Lustig scored with a diving header five minutes before the interval with further goals after the break by centre-back Jozo Simunovic and French striker Odsonne Edouard wrapping up the championship with two fixtures remaining, with interim boss Neil Lennon urging fans to savour the moment.

The Parkhead club can win the domestic triple treble in the Scottish Cup final against Hearts at Hampden Park on May 25 with the fans on a quest for what would be a record-breaking 10 successive titles.

Former Celtic skipper and manager Lennon, who was brought back in February until the end of the season when Brendan Rodgers suddenly left for Leicester City, admitted it had been "the toughest piece of management I have had in 10 years of management" but also wanted the title achievement enjoyed.

The Northern Irishman said: "On the outside it probably looks easy but on the inside there was a lot of discontent and agitation around the club at the time. You had to keep calm.

"You need the hide of a rhinoceros and big cojones. I'm not sure I have got them but I certainly have a rhino hide. You need to bat it away and concentrate.

"Some of the performances weren't great but we are unbeaten in 11 games so the standard and expectation is very, very high.

"We need to take some time, even the supporters, to take stock and enjoy the moment. This is eight titles, it has not been done for a very long time.

"So it is a special group of players and the fans should engage in that and not think about nine and 10.

"Just enjoy the moment and then look forward to next week, going there (Ibrox) as champions and the cup final as well."

Celtic season in numbers

14 - Goal tally of Celtic's top Premiership scorer Odsonne Edouard. The Frenchman has netted 20 goals in total across all competitions.

4 - Scottish Premiership titles now claimed by boss Neil Lennon. Brendan Rodgers was in the dugout for the first eight months of the campaign but his defection to Leicester means credit for securing title number eight will go to the man who kicked off their current run of dominance.

13 - Wins from 16 league games so far in 2019. The only blemishes on that run have been three goalless draws with Aberdeen, Livingston and Hibernian. The Parkhead side have also conceded just three league goals since the turn of the year, amassing 13 clean sheets.

8 - This is Celtic's eighth consecutive title. The Scottish record is nine, achieved by both Old Firm teams.

31 - The number of Celtic players who have featured in the league this season.

33 - Appearances in the league so far by Callum McGregor and James Forrest, the most by a Celtic player this term. McGregor has started 32 of his run-outs, while Forrest's was on from the kick-off in 31 of his.

2 - Games the Hoops have remaining in this campaign. They won the title with three to spare last year.

50 - Total haul of title victories the Hoops have now celebrated, four behind Rangers.

8 - Most teams in the league have taken points off the champions. The bottom-six trio of Dundee, Hamilton and St Johnstone were the only sides whitewashed by the Hoops this term, while Rangers are the only team to have taken points off Celtic in each of the last three seasons.

75 - Premiership goals scored in total by the champions this season, which is two greater than the tally set last term. Both are well behind the record 106 netted in Rodgers' first campaign in 2016/17.

Lennon also paid tribute to Rodgers, who secured the two previous titles before moving back to England.

He said: "It is a privilege to manage this club, it is the second time of doing it. I am so proud of the players at the way they handled the occasion.

"I have to give Brendan a huge amount of credit, I can't forget that. I don't want to miss him out.

"He obviously left the foundations and his legacy is very much intact here. From manager to manager, we owe him a great debt of thanks."

Three key games

September 2 - Celtic 1 Rangers 0

Steven Gerrard's new-look Ibrox outfit arrived at Parkhead for the first derby clash of the season on a high after scraping past Russian side Ufa with nine men to book a Europa League slot. Their next target saw them set eyes set on reversing the Old Firm pecking order but Olivier Ntcham grabbed the Hoops' winner as Celtic showed they were still the team to catch with a dominant display.

Boss Rodgers said afterwards: "I thought we performed exceptionally. Allan McGregor has made some outstanding saves, we hit the crossbar, it probably kept the scoreline down a little bit. It was an outstanding win for us and equally a very good performance and I am delighted."

February 17 - Kilmarnock 0 Celtic 1

Gers got themselves back on level terms with their bitter rivals with December's Ibrox win but then froze on the return from the winter break as they slipped to defeat at Rugby Park. Rodgers' team, on the other hand, returned refreshed from a sunshine trip to Dubai and boosted by the January additions of Oliver Burke and Timothy Weah and set about re-establishing their lead. They left it late on their own trip to Killie but Scott Brown's last-minute winner underlined Celtic's determination to grab eight in a row.

After the game, Rodgers said: "We weren't settling for a draw. It is never easy here, you have got to break through their block and they are very well organised. You know there are not going to be many chances so you have got to be ready."

February 27 - Hearts 1 Celtic 2

The surprise departure of boss Rodgers to Leicester with three months of the season still to run rocked the Celtic faithful. But chief executive's Peter Lawwell's decision to re-appoint former manager Neil Lennon swiftly to his old position on a short-term deal ensured there was no wobble. The champions continued their confident strut towards the title with another late show as the Northern Irishman returned to the Hoops dug-out at Tynecastle, where Odsonne Edouard's stoppage time winner sealed the points.

Lennon said after his first game in charge: "I'm ecstatic. It's a great win at a difficult place under the circumstances. You never stop believing with this group that they might make something happen. I can't knock the players. The mentality is absolutely brilliant and I can't fault them tonight. It's a brilliant win and psychologically huge."

Three key players

CALLUM McGREGOR

The midfielder is the Parkhead club's leading candidate to be crowned Scotland's Player of the Year. Being versatile can sometimes work against a player but in McGregor's case, his ability to fit in across the midfield - and even on occasion at left-back - has been a vital ingredient to Celtic's winning recipe this year. He even kept Scott Brown out of the side for a spell after slotting into the injured skipper's holding role so well that it convinced Rodgers that Brown would have to wait to reclaim his place.

JAMES FORREST

It took the Scotland winger time to get off and running but Forrest was soon chipping in with goals on a regular basis after blasting four goals in a brutal 6-0 demolition job on St Johnstone in early October. His winner against Steven Gerrard's Rangers in March's Old Firm clash will be the one he cherishes the most, however, after helping to once again underline the Hoops' dominance over their bitter rivals.

ODSONNE EDOUARD

The Frenchman had to contend with the weight of a £9million price tag this season after making last year's loan move from PSG permanent. A string of niggling injuries have also not helped his cause but when fully fit and firing on all cylinders, the 21-year-old has proved he is the man for the big occasion. Be it scoring a late double to see off Hibs at home in October, turning the game back in Celtic's favour against Aberdeen in December, handing Neil Lennon three points on his return to the Hoops dug-out in February with a stoppage-time winner against Hearts or his opener in an Old Firm duel, Edouard has contributed at vital moments.

Follow Sporting Life on social media - find us on Facebook here or tweet @SportingLifeFC

Related football links

• Sporting Life's betting tips
• Inside the Premier League title race
• Play Super 6
• Latest football fixtures
• Football results
• Latest Paper Talk