A stupendous Champions League draw should see Celtic rise to the moment.

I said last night that our women’s team was on the brink of a mouth-watering draw, and they got exactly what was promised. Chelsea, Real Madrid, and Twente – a proper beauty of a group. There are going to be some cracking games, and I think the fans are buzzing with excitement about what’s to come.

Of course, the doomsayers will already be predicting disaster, writing the team off with claims the results will be dreadful. But you know what? Even if they’re right, it doesn’t matter. This is a steep learning curve, and the only way to learn is to face it head-on. Every time we play one of those sides, we’ll improve. We’ll gain experience and understanding, making us better equipped to deal with challenges on this stage.

Some of these clubs have been playing at the highest levels of competition football for many years, so it won’t be a walk in the park. There will be moments when it might get ugly – just look at what’s happened to our city rivals in these competitions to know how rough it can get.

But that’s the point. If we want to be here regularly and compete at this level, we need that experience, however painful it may be at times. This is one of those occasions where taking part truly matters.

It’s fantastic that our women’s team is in this position, and they deserve all our support and congratulations. As I said earlier, this draw is everything we could have hoped for at this level – top-class teams, big nights, and guaranteed coverage across the board. It’s going to raise the profile of both our women’s team and the club to new heights, attracting a whole new legion of fans.

The club should seriously consider hosting a couple of these games at Celtic Park to allow as many supporters as possible to come and cheer on the side. Whether or not that’s feasible, we should all do what we can to get along to the matches. They’re going to be special, and the team deserves a fantastic atmosphere and an amazing level of support.

This is what it’s all about – our first foray onto this stage. We should embrace it, whatever the results, because the most valuable thing we’ll gain from this experience is growth. And the more experience we have, the better we’ll become.

Our friends at Endless Celts have been nominated at the Football Content Awards, in the Best International Podcast section. Please show them your support by clicking on this link and giving them your vote. The Endless Celts guys are a hard working team of passionate fans who deserve recognition and the highest praise.