It’s more than football- Rodgers sets the scene for Sunday

Brendan Rodgers has spent this week preparing his players for a fixture that is more than football.

As soon as the Scottish Cup tie against Hibs was over the Irish turned his full attention to the Glasgow Derby, a fixture in which he has an outstanding record.

In two stints as Celtic manager Rodgers has only lost out twice while delivering 10 trophies out of 11.

Unfortunately one of those defeats was the last time that the fixture was played, by common consent Celtic barely turned up at Ibrox in January and suffered a 3-0 defeat.

The gap at the top of the Premiership table was still a formidable 11 points but that defeat hung around the club and supporters, for some fans it still remains raw.

Rodgers doesn’t like to discuss revenge when it comes to football but for the home supporters Sunday’s clash is an opportunity to settle an open sore.

Outsiders might look at the Premiership table and wonder what the fuss is about but it seems very clear from the comments of the Celtic boss that there is nothing academic or routine about Sunday’s third SPFL Derby of the season.

Rodgers spent just over four years away from the fixture but appreciates that more than three points are at stake on Sunday.

12 minutes

Did you miss these occasions when you were down the road?

Yes, it’s a brilliant game. I obviously tuned into them virtually all when I possibly could. So yes, the build-up to it, the intensity, because it’s more than football.

Like I said, it’s people’s lives. It’s what they breathe every single day. And you know that responsibility you have as a manager.

And the great privilege that we have for every supporter around the world, the Celtic supporter in every corner of the world, the opportunity to give them that real, real good feeling. So yes, I tuned into them when I was away from here, before I was here, and then now to be back in it, it’s always special.

A home win on Sunday will put Celtic 19 points clear with eight fixtures left to play, putting the hoops within touching distance of being champions of Scotland for a 55th time.

(Photo by Craig Williamson/SNS Group via Getty Images)