The words were delivered by the voice of experience but the accent of a Dutchman.

It was an odd mix, since Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink was describing the competitive spirit and lust for success which is driving Neil Lennon at Celtic, all the while sounding like someone whose mind was elsewhere, dozing quietly. The former Celtic striker proffered that winning was an addiction for a footballer although it was tempting to assume he has found tranquillisers to be an able replacement since his retirement.

It did not seem to ring true with the memory of Vennegoor of Hesselink, a Dutchman who spent three seasons as a brawny so-and-so thundering into headers and bearing the burden of leading the club's attack in Europe. He would leave saddled with two league titles and winners' medals from a League Cup and a Scottish Cup.

Those who have since succeeded him at the club will seek to emulate that last achievement this season, with Celtic to face Dundee United in the semi-finals of the competition at Hampden on Sunday. A league title is then expected to follow a week later.

The campaign has become something of a procession for Celtic and one which is not easy for Venegoor of Hesselink to recognise, since his former side were seldom allowed to creep out of sight of Rangers. It has become too common to look for a new voice to articulate how the absence of Rangers has impacted on Celtic this season, although it was still instructive that the Dutchman played down the whole saga's relevance to Lennon.

"If you look how he [Lennon] did in the Champions League and in the league, he is doing his job really well," said the former Netherlands internationalist. "Lenny will want to get the double. As a footballer, there is a competitiveness, you want to win.

"It is like an addiction and if you win prizes you want to do it over and over. I think that is in the mind of Lenny and hopefully in the minds of a lot of players."

The Celtic manager is to find out today if he will be able to field Victor Wanyama on Sunday, with the club having appealed the red card shown to the midfielder during a draw against St Mirren. The Kenyan had been dismissed for a foul on Paul McGowan.

Jackie McNamara will also be keen to hear the outcome of the appeal as he continues to hone his plans to overcome Celtic at Hampden. The Dundee United manager has already presided over a 6-2 defeat at Parkhead and is not willing to suffer another humiliation in Glasgow.

"We didn't defend well that day," he said. "We will need to do much better at Hampden. It was not that we were gung-ho, it was more that the goals we lost were poor. In this semi-final, we need to make sure we do our jobs properly all round the pitch."