Martin O’Neill reacts to what Jim White told him about Brendan Rodgers after Celtic beat Rangers

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Celtic claimed the bragging rights of Glasgow once more on Sunday.

It was thrilling from start to finish, but in the end, Celtic beat Rangers on penalties to lift the League Cup at Hampden.

That happened after a six-goal thriller during an enthralling 120 minutes of football, including Brendan Rodgers watching his team fall behind in the first half, but then look like their old selves after the break.

Even then, Celtic continued to shoot themselves in the foot, even after Nicolas Kuhn’s 87th-minute goal which looked like the winner.

But the mark of a great team and champions is staying in the fight and being on the podium at the end of it all.

And Celtic were lifting the League Cup trophy aloft after an absorbing encounter, with Martin O’Neill delighted with it all.

Martin O’Neill reacts to Brendan Rodgers’ record against Rangers

From his first spell to Rodgers’ return to Celtic last summer, there has been one common theme and that’s his continued dominance in Scotland.

O’Neill was on talkSPORT (16/12/24 at 12:10 pm) less than 24 hours after the win and Jim White told the legendary coach about Rodgers’ record against Rangers.

The Irishman has only lost once against a whole host of Rangers managers, with the current coach, Philippe Clement, yet to beat him after six attempts.

Jim White told O’Neill: “On Brendan Rodgers, he claimed his tenth trophy as Celtic manager and his record in Glasgow derby games stands at one defeat out of 20. Martin, you have a great record against Rangers, but Brendan, my God, when you hear that, I mean what a record that is against Rangers. One defeat out of 20.”

“It’s excellent, Jim,” responded O’Neill. “Really, really excellent. Well, it’s better than excellent if there is such a thing. It’s just phenomenal.”

O’Neill says Celtic on a ‘different level’ to Rangers after penalty shootout win

Celtic are nine points clear of second-placed Aberdeen in the Premiership table and a further 11 clear of Clement’s side.

That further showcases the gap between the two, with O’Neill making it clear that, whilst he was impressed by what Rangers produced in the final, it was a one-off match and Celtic are still on a ‘different level’.

“I thought they (Rangers) were terrific,” admitted O’Neill. “Obviously, it was a great game. As a Celtic have the upper hand, psychologically as much as anything else. But Rangers’ performance gives them something to be hopeful for in the future.

“In a one-off performance, you can actually maybe win the game. I thought this was a very important game for Rangers, just to take it back to Ibrox would have been something. But the longer that is not happening, then the more difficult it becomes.

“At the end of the season, the league form is the one that will suggest where they are, then if they can’t close that gap, then it’s another season gone. I mean Celtic are on a different level in every aspect at this very moment. In a one-off game where Rangers played excellently, it can give them hope again.”