Brendan Rodgers has revealed the fitness details that he insists on for every Celtic player.
Among the many eye openers from Sunday’s win over Sevco was the vastly improved fitness levels of the Celtic players.
While Mark Warburton’s side had nine days to prepare for the Hampden clash Rodgers’ side had gone through a demanding clash with Borussia Monchengladbach four days earlier.
Throughout the match at Hampden Celtic looked the sharper team as they pushed forward at every opportunity looking to utilise their pace down the flanks and through the centre of the park.
Ronny Deila made a great deal of creating ’24 hour athletes’ without any real difference on the park but under his successor there is no doubting the fitness of the Celtic side.
“I’ve just come in, myself and my staff, we’ve brought in how we need the players to be in terms of being a certain weight in order to even train with the team,” Rodgers explained.
“Some players want to play in the team but you can’t train with the team if you’re not even at the right weight.
“You look at Scott Sinclair, for example. How robust he is, how strong he is, how fit he is, the running he puts in. It’s not by accident. He looks after his body.
“You look at Scott Brown, an example in terms of his shift in knowing every day counts when you’re a player to get that lean.
“To get that strong to be able to cover ground in the area he plays you need to be at a certain level physically.
“And now you’re seeing a player playing really at the top of his game. You can see it clearly how Scott’s shape has changed – you can see how lean he is.
“He will be the best advocate of that, he’ll speak to you more on that but you can’t play at the level he’s playing at without change.”
Sinclair, Brown and their team mates will need to be at peak fitness as they embark on a programme of three games in seven days covering away matches at Ross County, Aberdeen and Borussia Monchengladbach.
CLICK HERE for Sevco try to put the pressure on Barton
CLICK HERE for Rodgers I expect this defender will soon be getting £100,000 a week offers
CLICK HERE for the 4-2-3-1 to crush Ross County
.