Celtic captain Scott Brown rued the loss of former midfield partner Stuart Armstrong to Southampton but said the move was right for both parties.

After joining the Hoops from Dundee United, Armstrong would form a partnership in the middle of the park with Brown which proved instrumental to Brendan Rodgers' double treble winning squad.

But the 26-year-old has now brought a close to his Parkhead tenure by signing a four-year deal with the Saints.

Brown backed his ex-teammate to thrive in the Premier League but admitted he'd miss Armstrong's presence in the engine room at Celtic.

He told STV: "Stuart will be fantastic down there, he's done it in the Champions League for us.

"He'll be a huge miss for us because he is great about the place with the lads.

"On the field as well he's got legs, an ability some players haven't got - to go past people, to score goals, to create chances - but it was right for both parties.

"We wish Stuart all the best, he knows what I think of him, he's going to be a big miss for me especially, with his legs in the middle of the park."

Celtic are in Austria preparing for their upcoming Champions League qualification quest, which kicks off with a first round tie against Armenian's Alashkert.

Brown said the camp was the perfect spot to get set for a tough season ahead.

He added: "It's perfect, it's good being in the middle of nowhere.

"It's all about training hard while making sure you enjoy your relaxation as well.

"It gets a base of fitness levels, match fitness is completely different but it's great to go into these competitions by playing at a good tempo.

"Qualification is getting harder and harder every season but whatever is put in front of us we need to make sure we get past it as that's where the club deserves to be."