What Brendan Rodgers did following Celtic’s title celebration at Parkhead as he names one item that astonished him the most

The Hoops gaffer admits it is been a season of ups and downs however reckons punters are now beginning to see the REAL Celtic.

Brendan Rodgers was lower back in his residence in the early hours of Thursday morning gazing a rerun of his side’s sensational surge across the Premiership finishing line at Rugby Park.

But his thinking wandered lower back to a day etched in his mind. Saturday, August 26, 2023. Celtic had simply been held at domestic to a St Johnstone facet on the verge of punting Steven MacLean having been dumped out of the Viaplay Cup simply six days earlier. There used to be anger pouring down from the Celtic Park stands, savage headlines in the newspapers and radio phone-ins have been ringing off the hook.

Rodgers may have remained a calm discern in public but he knew he was once in the eye of a storm. He admits now some of the criticism stung – but he refused to buckle and always stored the faith that others have been losing at a rate of knots. And that is what will make this Saturday lunchtime even sweeter when he raises the silverware but again. Rodgers said: “Listen, I’m not made of wood. We all have feelings, and we are all for sure constructed in different ways. I sense that I can deal with strain and these situations, but it nevertheless doesn’t make you immune to everything.

“But I suppose what journey has given me is no longer to become too emotional with words, and there’s been lots of that. I can trace back to August, every time the headlines had been around that I’m beneath huge stress – and this is on August 26.

“That has persevered right the way through with quite a number people having their say, and that’s the contemporary world and this game. But for me, I had to show a intellectual strength, like the crew has had to do. “And eventually, the work that we do, the methods that we have in place, have come thru in the end. It has been a challenging season in methods I didn’t suppose it would be.”

Rodgers is making an attempt challenging now not to stick two fingers up at the snipers however It’s clear some of the stuff from lower back then hasn’t been forgotten. The accusation he was once going thru the motions used to be mentioned after ultimate week’s Old Firm win over Rangers. And it’s the humans who puzzled his desire who now have their answer, underline and in bold letters.

Rodgers said: “We had a couple of wee drinks afterwards (on Wednesday), went home, watched the game again, went to mattress about 20 to four. It used to be a lengthy night however a amazing night, and that’s what football is about. It’s been a season full of ups and downs however finally we came right when it mattered. I assume now we’re beginning to see the actual Celtic – in all likelihood what people desired to see at the starting of the season.

“We weren’t pretty at that stage then for various reasons, however we certainly have been this past couple of months, constructing toward this length in the season. “That’s the most essential bit. I think it’s satisfying. I experience very relaxed in the work we’ve been in a position to do.

“It’s stunning a little bit that so many people maybe didn’t see what was once going on round the team, that was the biggest shock for me. And specially having been here before, understanding how my teams operate, knowing how they play, understanding how they attack, knowing that was once usually the intention.

“It’s now not full-out attack. I like to assume my teams, if you suppose of a pinnacle boxer, a top boxer isn’t throwing punches all the time, he has to put his guard up now and once more and I assume my teams are reflective of that. They attack, they’re aggressive, they score goals, we try to defend well. And in reality there was a reason to why it possibly wasn’t functioning the same.

“It without a doubt wasn’t that I’d misplaced the hunger, or was once going via the motions, or hadn’t the stomach for the fight, which is what some human beings were saying. That’s humans who sincerely don’t be aware of me So, it’s been very satisfying, but it’s all about creating a habit and the players have been amazing in developing those habits. And eventually, we get our reward.”

Celtic and Rodgers will get their spoils of conflict on Saturday. It will also be the hazard for Celtic fans to salute a contemporary day hero as keeper Joe Hart prepares for his Parkhead farewell beforehand of Hampden subsequent week.

The No.1 is going out on a high however there’s no hazard of a late U-turn over his decision to dangle up the gloves. Rodgers said: “No, I assume it is the time. I have had this before, I had it with Jamie Carragher (at Liverpool). Jamie used to be my first-class centre-half at 35 years of age.

“But through the end he was once ready, he used to be going into his function on Sky Sports, and he finished on a high. Joe is exactly the same, he will have a successful profession outside of what he is doing, however he is ending it in the way that you would desire to as a participant – going out strong, going out a winner.

“Joe will be sorely overlooked due to the fact he is a desirable guy. And I know after he finishes he will look returned on this spell and see it as a large positIve for him. He is cherished and loved by using the supporters, they see he is a actual man who has given his all to Celtic.

“Let’s hope in these subsequent couple of games we can end off his story and he can go off into the sunset a successful and legendary Celt.”