Matt O’Riley has shared the message that Brendan Rodgers has been giving his Celtic players in their first week together.
The non-international Celtic contingent have been meeting their new boss at Lennoxtown for the first time this week.
Rodgers inherits an all-conquering Hoops squad that have won five of the last six trophies on offer in Scotland.
Celtic won a memorable treble under Ange Postecoglou last season. O’Riley remembers the success fondly but says the focus is now on what’s to come.
“Obviously it’s an amazing achievement,” he told Celtic TV. “We’ve broken that record again which is a massive credit to us, and the fans of course.
“It’s definitely sunk in. But, at the same time, Brendan’s come in already and told us that it’s done now.
“It’s there, it’s in the history books. But at the same time we’ve got another season to do it again.”
The past being the past was a key theme of Rodgers’ first press conference so it is no real surprise to hear that he’s continued that with the players too.
As much as it was a shock to lose Postecoglou so soon after our treble win, it may all work out best for everyone.
Celtic are by far the best team in Scotland. Yet it feels like we’ve got it all to prove again with Rodgers back in the hot seat. That is not a bad thing by any stretch.
Think back to some of your favourite seasons supporting the club. I can wager that the majority were special because Celtic proved something memorable.
O’Riley was an important player for 18 months under Postecoglou, helping the team to four domestic trophies since January 2021.
The Aussie’s departure was big news at the time but the Dane is already seeing some positive changes under Rodgers.
“So far it’s been amazing,” he said. “Everyone seems upbeat and I think he brings that just in terms of how he goes about things.
“He’s not reluctant to come and sit with us at lunch and have a chat which I think is quite nice.
“It’s a nice refreshing change in a sense to have a bit more openness about the place so I’m looking forward to that.”
We can’t wait for the real stuff to get underway.
In other news, Celtic have shared the first footage from training under the new Brendan Rodgers regime
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