Celtic assistant manager John Kennedy reckons the five-substitutes rule has helped the Hoops maintain their "intensity" in matches.

The former Parkhead defender feels that being able to bring several players off the bench has allowed Ange Postecoglou to make use of his squad and keep their high-octane football going for the majority of matches.

It was a system first introduced in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic and has been in place in the Scottish Premiership.

Last summer, the International Football Association Board confirmed that the option of being able to make five changes in a match would be the new norm going forward.

When asked if the five sub-rule benefited the Hoops, he told Celtic TV: "I think it does. It allows us to maintain the intensity in the games and the energy levels for ourselves.

"We play a very high-intensity game which takes a lot out of the boys, especially when there are three games a week.

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"We have to have a squad that is ready to go and execute that. The players know on a daily basis that the way we train and prepare for games, so even if they are not playing at the weekend, they have to keep training at levels that when they do come and they do have an impact.

"We've seen that many times this season in terms of players coming in and making a difference in the game, whether that be seeing a game out or really pushing on and getting the extra goals that we need.

"That's a big part of the game and is something the manager emphasises continuously, whether you are on the pitch for 90 minutes, 30 minutes or 15 minutes, you have to make an impact. That's your job.

"Again, you have to be selfless in that. A lot of players get upset when they don't play, that's totally natural, but it's important that they work that in the right way that it's beneficial to the team and they don't put themselves in front of that."

Celtic Way:

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