Celtic midfielder Paul Hartley has revealed the Bank of Scotland Premier League champions-elect are expecting a backlash from arch-rivals Rangers next season.
The Scotland midfielder will pick up his first league championship medal if the Hoops win at Kilmarnock tomorrow.
The Parkhead side's journey towards their second title in succession has been relatively trouble free.
Hartley, 30, believes Ibrox manager Walter Smith, who took over from Paul Le Guen in January when the title race was effectively over, will have the Light Blues in better shape for a season-long challenge after the summer.
The former Hearts player insists veteran defender David Weir, who signed a new one-year contract extension yesterday, has been pivotal to the stabilising of Rangers in the second half of the season.
He told PA Sport: 'Rangers have picked up an awful lot of points since Walter came in and they will further strengthen their squad in the summer.
'We know they will make a stronger challenge next season.
'One thing Walter did when he came in was to steady the ship at the back and David Weir has been excellent.
'So we know it's going to be tough next season,' Hartley continued.
Hartley also went on to discuss the fact that he is savouring the more immediate prospect of being part of a title-winning team for the first time: 'It will mean a lot to me.
'Some people don't wait too long for their first medal, others wait a long, long time and it's the first time I have been involved in what will hopefully be a title-winning celebration.
'I've watched a few Celtic games when they have won the championship.
'But going as a player would be extra special for myself.
'I played for Hearts last season when John Hartson scored the goal to win the league for Celtic and it's not nice when you are in the opposition team.
'Hopefully, it will be the reverse on Sunday and I will be in the winning team.
'The players are really looking forward to the game.
'They've had a bit of criticism over the last few weeks for the way we have played but we have only lost three league games all season.
'We are not going to play well every week. When you are going for a league title, it's
impossible.
'You look at the best teams like Chelsea and they came in for criticism last year when they
didn't play well all the time.
'We've had a bit of criticism over the last four to six weeks but I think, at this stage of the season, it's about winning matches.'
