Falkirk coach lifts lid on Celtic intensity during behind-closed-doors Lennoxtown clash

The Hoops hosted their Scottish Premiership rivals during the international break, with Martin O’Neill using the opportunity to give several first-team players valuable minutes.

Among those involved was Jota, who continued his recovery from a long-term ACL injury by featuring for 45 minutes in Celtic’s 2-0 victory.

The Portuguese winger’s involvement was a significant boost for O’Neill, with the 27-year-old edging closer to a competitive return after spending more than a year on the sidelines.

McGinn has now offered an insight into the intensity of the encounter, insisting Celtic approached the friendly with the same seriousness expected of a competitive fixture.

He said via The Scotsman: “We had a week off and then we were back in training before a bounce game with Celtic. We feel as if we have used the time well.

“We shared the minutes against Celtic, and they took it seriously as you would expect. It became a really good competitive game, and we took a lot of positives out of it.

“We were pleased with what we got out of it.”