BRENDAN Rodgers admitted he has sympathy for his Scotland counterpart Steve Clarke after watching his captain Callum McGregor lead Celtic back to the top of the William Hill Premiership.
Parkhead skipper McGregor netted from fully 25 yards out during the first half of the Scottish champions’ comfortable 2-0 victory over Hibernian at Easter Road yesterday afternoon.
But that spectacular strike was just the highlight of an inspired all-round display by the 31-year-old midfielder, who last week announced his retirement from international football, for his manager.
Clarke, whose team play Poland at home and Portugal away in the Nations League next month, was in the main stand in Leith along with his assistant John Carver and Rodgers confessed that he felt sorry for him afterwards.
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“Cal was brilliant,” said the Northern Irishman. “That's what happens when you retire from Scotland! Hopefully there are many more goals to come. I've managed him in so many games, over the two spells here now. I know his quality. I know his game inside out.
“It doesn't surprise me. He's scored so many goals for me, especially in the first spell, then a few this spell. He was 25 to 30 yards out, it was a wonderful strike. That's what you need in your team and he possesses quality.
“You have to do that (track back) as well. I think any successful team has the spirit and the energy. That's what you want your players to be able to do and he typifies that so well. But everyone has to do it, not just Cal.
Rodgers continued: “I do feel for Steve because he's a quality player. But from a Celtic perspective, for longevity, for him, his career, his recovery. There's so many games now, it's a 12-month season.
“For him to get these little periods of recovery, to recover and rest, will be important for him. He got no winter break this year either. He's such an intense player for me on and off the pitch. Those little windows where you can give him that breather will do him the word of good.
“He's played so many games, hasn't he? I think when I give Cal a few days off on international breaks, he'll relish it. I think he's getting into his stage of his career.”
Kyogo Furuhashi, Alistair Johnston and Mikey Johnston all came off in the second half of the victory over Hibs – but Rodgers is unconcerned about their fitness.
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“Kyogo’s shoulder popped out,” he said. “But I think it's just one of those ones that, he had a fall and it knocked it out. The guys put it back in again, but he felt the soreness. I don't need to risk him.
“Mikey was precautionary, really. He felt a wee bit dazed when he came off. I didn't think it was a penalty, but he was dazed enough in the challenge. He was a wee bit blurred in his vision, so he came off.
“Ali just felt a wee bit of tightness, so there was no need to risk it when we’ve got Tony Ralston on the side. And, yes, they closed the game out really well.”
Rodgers, who replaced striker Furuhashi with winger Mikey Johnston with 15 minutes remaining, is hoping Celtic will be able to complete the signing of Norwich City and Republic of Ireland forward Adam Idah in the coming days and bring in more new recruits.
“We know what we need,” he said. “We've always known what we need. My focus is really with the players who are here. Hopefully we can strengthen the squad over the coming weeks. There are other players who can go in and play that position. And that's what we have to do while we're waiting for players to come in.”
Asked about the absence of Luis Palma, he said: “He is probably 10 days to a couple of weeks away. I think when you watch the challenge (in the Kilmarnock game last week) back, it was a really nasty injury for him. And he'd done amazing to play on when you actually see the rotation in his ankle. So he's obviously still a wee bit of time away, but it’s great to have Daizen (Maeda) back.”
Rodgers was pleased with Celtic’s showing against Hibs – but he did feel there was one area where the visitors could have acquitted themselves better.
“The result and performance were very good,” he said. “Easter Road is one of the toughest places to come in Scottish football, so I thought we managed the game very well. We made a great start, which you want. We scored two very good goals and we were really slick in other moments in the game.
“In the second half, we just had a little spell where the game became too long for us. We didn't shorten the game how we normally do and play quickly through the lines, so it got stretched a wee bit too much for my liking. But we always had control of the game. If I was nitpicking, I would say we have to be more clinical.
“We scored two and again could have had four or five. So the creative side's there, balance was really good in the team and it's a very good win for us.”
