BRENDAN RODGERS is determined to keep his word to the Celtic fans as he prepares the holders for their Scottish Cup quarter-final encounter against Hibs at Parkhead on Sunday afternoon.
The comeback gaffer won seven successive domestic trophies in his remarkable first stint after succeeding Ronny Deila in the summer of 2016.
The Invincible campaign followed with the team sealing a historic treble and he repeated the achievement the following season.
After winning the League Cup, Rodgers unexpectedly quit in February 2019 with Neil Lennon answering the Hoops’ SOS to guide the side to another trophy hat-trick, a feat he, too, emulated the following term.
HAMPDEN HOORAYS 2017…Brendan Rodgers celebrates the 2-1 Scottish Cup Final win over Aberdeen.
The return of the Irishman in June 2023 was not unanimously welcomed by some section of the Celtic support and, when the team stumbled out of the League Cup in only his third game, it added fuel to the criticism.
However, Rodgers steadied the ship to deliver a Premiership and Scottish Cup double and he remained on the silverware trail in December when the Hoops lifted the Premier Sports League Cup.
With a 16-point advantage, the title is just three wins away and the focus switches to the national competition against the Easter Road outfit on Sunday.
Rodgers reflected: “I said when I came back, my promise to supporters was to win, to fight for them and the players, and to have progress in Europe.
“I think that winning – and winning trophies – is what I said I wanted to do when I came in.
“It’s very much a part of the game here at Celtic and obviously the Scottish Cup presents an opportunity to win a really special trophy.
“So, for me, every game in this competition is so important and I hope I can keep the record going.”
HAMPDEN HOORAYS 2018…a beaming Brendan Rodgers makes it a Scottish Cup double with a 2-0 victory over Motherwell.
Looking ahead to what is certain to be a colourful occasion at a sell-out Parkhead, Rodgers, speaking to Celtic TV, continued: “We’re really looking forward to it.
“It should be a great game and a great atmosphere, so we’re excited by it.
“The context of the game is totally different to when we played them a couple of weeks ago. The energy in the game will be totally different and I expect a difficult game, but I also expect Hibs to have a difficult game.
“I came away from the game in Edinburgh seeing a Hibs team that’s very well organised, in a different space to what they were at the beginning of the season.
“They’ve very structured in their play and they’ve got some dangerous players, so it’s a game we know we have to be very good in to get to the semi-final.”
The Leith club will bring around 7,000 fans to the east end of Glasgow while there will be 53,000 home supporters in attendance with the target of roaring their team into the last four – and only two games away from the club’s world record ninth treble.
HAMPDEN HOORAYS 2024…Brendan Rodgers back in the old routine following the 1-0 Scottish Cup triumph over Rangers.
Rodgers added: “Hibs are on a very good run so their supporters will be buoyed by that and that’ll activate our supporters, as well. So it should be a great atmosphere.
“We’re playing at home, which we love to do. We’ll have 50,000 or so supporters who will be with us in the game and we’re very hungry to get to Hampden.
“From my first spell here, I’ve always recognised the importance of this competition, which is why we give absolutely everything to try and win it.
“But I think every team is the same. Every team up here, they love the magic of the Scottish Cup.”
Liam Scales, who received a facial knock in the champions’ 5-2 win at St Mirren last weekend, is Celtic’s only major doubt for the tie.
Callum McGregor, who was substituted in the second-half in Paisley, and Auston Trusty, who had to helped off after a clash of heads inside half-an-hour, are both available.
