“The sun’s shining, these are real Celtic days, and that’s what we love,’ Brendan Rodgers

Q: There are so many factors to that in terms of giving the fans the performance that they want, making sure that you’re in good shape as well, going into the Scottish Cup final next weekend?

Brendan Rodgers: “In every single game, we’ve set out to entertain the supporters. That’s why they pay the hard-earned money. They work all week to come and have a level of joy watching the team play, and I think in the main the players have provided that this season. There’s been a real, real strong connection with the supporters and the players. You see the number of goals we’ve scored, and we haven’t given so much away. So yeah, it’s just a repeat of that, hopefully.”

Q: How special are these days, Brendan, both for you personally, but for the squad, the club, the fans?

Brendan Rodgers: “You certainly never take it for granted, because there is so much work that goes into winning a league title over the course of a season. I think back to our work in pre-season, where we developed the idea, and then alongside the hard work and the values with which this team play with as well. It’s a very humble team, it’s very competitive, and it has a real togetherness about it as well. So to demonstrate that weekly and arrive on this day that you can share with the supporters, it’s a truly special day.

Q: How do you reflect on this league title that you’ve won and the challenges that you’ve faced throughout the season?

Brendan Rodgers:  “It’s been very, very satisfying as a manager, I have to say. Our first day in pre-season, and right through the pre-season, I thought we set a really high benchmark, and we were able to continue with that. So we’re here to win, and win in the best possible way we can. So as a manager, to see that growth of the team from last year, and then to see how we’ve performed this season consistently, and playing some fantastic games. Like I said, we’ve stuck with the idea and structure of our team, because any good team is always made up of talent, a system and a real positive energy, and that’s what we’ve tried to demonstrate all season.”

Q: You mentioned those targets that you still want to hit in this last game. How important are they for you, and how much do you stress that to the players, that it’s sprinting over the line and showing why you’re holding up a lofted trophy at the end?

Brendan Rodgers:  “I think as a player, as a person, you want to improve every single day of your life, and just because you have a piece of metal that you’ve won and achieved and worked very hard for, doesn’t mean you can’t improve on the other days. When we won the title at Dundee United, great. But I want us to still improve as a team and as individuals, and for that then you have to then bring a purpose to it, and the players have responded to that, and now we have more targets to hopefully see if we can achieve and go for, and do everything we can to do that.”

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