BEAMING Brendan Rodgers didn’t hesitate when he assessed a year in which Celtic won all three domestic honours and pushed themselves FOURTEEN points ahead in pursuit of the club’s fourth successive title.
Plus the Hoops are now on the brink of qualifying for the Champions League play-offs with two games next month against Young Boys in Glasgow and Aston Villa in the Midlands pivotal to those hopes of improvement in Europe’s elite competition.
Rodgers witnessed his players bring down the curtain on an eventful and successful 2024 with a second consecutive 4-0 victory at Parkhead.
HAPPY DAZE…Brendan Rodgers watches from the sideline as Celtic romp to victory.
The Hollowed up their four-goal rout of Motherwell with an identical scoreline against St Johnstone with Kyogo Furuhashi claiming a double with Nicolas Kuhn, who netted a classy opener, and Daizen Maeda joining the shooting gallery.
Celtic kicked off the year with a 3-0 win over St Mirren in Paisley where Maeda, coincidentally, was on target again along with strikes from Matt O’Riley and Greg Taylor.
And Rodgers was swift to acknowledge the exceptional feats of the performers by revealing his pride in his squad.
The Irishman smiled and admitted: “I said to the players afterwards that I’m very, very proud – firstly, as the Celtic manager, because I think when we look back on the statistics, it really will be historical in terms of numbers and what we’ve achieved.
“So from that perspective, I’m very, very proud.
“But, as a Celtic supporter, I look and I see what these guys give the team, what they give every day of their life and also the staff all around the club.
“They are a team working very closely with the players – everyone – it’s been a really, really special year for us, winning three trophies, but having that humility and perseverance to want to keep improving.
“So, I think 2024, as a manager, I’m very, very proud and really excited by what 2025 can bring.”
THAT’S OUR BHOY…Paulo Bernardo and Nicolas Kuhn congratulate Kyogo Furuhashi after the Japanese striker had scored No.2 against St Johnstone.
Reflecting on the action that saw Celtic end the campaign without a loss in Paradise, Rodgers, speaking to Celtic TV, continued: “It was how you would want to finish.
“I thought from minute one to the 94th minute we were outstanding. Firstly, our pressing in denying St Johnstone space, because I’ve seen them and they can give you a problem with the ball, but we didn’t give away any chances, really, in the 18-yard box.
“Our pressing from the front, middle and the line-movement was very, very good and I thought with the ball we were excellent.
“We were fast, we made lots of runs to break the line and created lots of opportunities, although we didn’t quite finish some of them.
“But our play in our goals was outstanding and I think the focus of the players was so good, so I’m very proud of that performance.”
A laserbeam pass from Reo Hatate opened the way for the breakthrough goal on the half-hour mark when the Japanese playmaker picked out the menacing Kuhn just outside the box.
The rejuvenated German winger raced at pace into the danger zone, skipped away from a defender and lashed the ball behind the exposed Josh Rae.
Rodgers hailed the vision and precision of the midfielder and the pace and killer touch of the wide Bhoy and he added: “What Reo has, he’s got a great pass, not only a great pass, but he can see it, and that’s what we want to do when we win the ball back.
“Can we pass forward and run forward? That was a great example of that – and a great finish by Nic.”
The champions will now regroup and go again at Ibrox on Thursday as they prepare to gatecrash 2025.
Philippe Clement’s side have dropped five points in their last two fixtures – a 2-1 loss at St Mirren and a 2-2 draw at Motherwell – and they will find Rodgers’ players in no mood to ease their misery as the New Year action gets underway.
