Champions League winner and former Celt Paul Lambert says he is hopeful the competition’s new format will give the Hoops a fighting chance of making an impact in Europe this year.

UEFA’s top competition returns to Celtic Park on Wednesday night, with Brendan Rodgers looking to kick off the new campaign with a win over Slovan Bratislava in front of a raucous home support.

Lambert captained the Martin O’Neill side who went all the way to the Champions League final in the 2002/03 season, narrowly losing out to Porto in extra time in Seville.

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Speaking to PLZ Soccer, Lambert said: “When you’re a club the size of Celtic you can’t keep playing European competitions and ending up with one and zero points. That doesn’t add up, the club’s too big for that.

“It does great domestically, but it needs to make a little dent in Europe and hopefully this new format does that because it gives clubs who are not in the elite bracket a crack at reaching the knockout round.

“You’ve got eight games, two more. Leipzig at home will be tough. Don’t underestimate them - and Young Boys put out Galatasaray.

(Image: Craig Williamson - SNS Group)

“There isn’t an easy game in Europe. Celtic will have to earn it. Going away to Dortmund and Villa will be tough. The home games you like to think they have a real good shout, but they’ll have to earn it, it won’t be easy.”

Celtic been drawn away against two of Lambert’s former clubs: Borussia Dortmund, where he won the UEFA competition in 1996/97, and Aston Villa, where he managed between 2012 and 2015.

The former Celtic man is relishing the chance to watch the Hoops come up against Unai Emery’s side next year.

He said: “They’ll go down there in their thousands - they’ll probably take over Birmingham. I don’t care how big clubs are in England, there is nothing like Celtic. That goes without saying. If Celtic were in that English Premier League, they would dwarf most clubs. You’d have to build another tier at Parkhead.

“It won’t be easy for Aston Villa despite how well they’re playing. It’s a really good club but Celtic have a real chance of going down there and getting something. There’s an ignorance down south towards us. Ask anyone who has played for the club.

“I bet even Joe Hart and Kasper Schmeichel would have changed their view after they came. You take Celtic out of Scotland put it in the Premier League and after a few years finding their feet it would be mammoth.”