Everything that Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers said to the media after the 1-0 win over Rangers at Hampden Park sealed the 'double'.


Can you sum up your emotions after that one?

I am so happy. To win another title was an amazing feeling. This was a really tight and intense game. I knew it was a game where we would have challenges. It was two different styles as Rangers were direct and they got it up there and played off the second ball. We had to stand up to that. We are a team that tries to progress through the pitch and we knew it was going to be tight. The will and the desire of the players were immense really. To get that winning goal was a great feeling.

Is that the toughest game you have had against Rangers this season?

They are never easy. I think when you come into a Scottish Cup final it is difficult. I have played Rangers before in the semi-final and we nicked that one late on as well. You just know coming into it that you are not going to win titles always playing beautiful football all the time. We had spells in the game. We lacked a bit of energy I thought as it was our 50th game of the season. We lacked energy in the final third hence bringing on Adam Idah and Paulo Bernardo to give us more power and threat. They are always going to be tense and tight and I am just so proud of the team. They showed that resilience and they kept fighting. I said to them beforehand that it was not what they did this week that prepared you for the final, it is what you did in the other 51 weeks. The preparation, discipline and the process which they stayed with right the way through in the past two months have yielded the rewards. I am so, so happy for them.

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Is this what you envisaged when you signed up last summer?

I knew I would have to win. You have to win at Celtic. There is no other way of thinking. I am so pleased to have done it. The League and the Scottish Cup for me growing up were virtually aligned in terms of their importance. The Champions League now with the money and everything else has made the title more prestigious. However, the Scottish Cup and the history of this club with it is so important. I think you can see that in the game and you can see that with the supporters at the end. I know my job here is to protect the rich history of this club and continue the chapter of this team by winning trophies.

Adam Idah scored the winning goal. Have you asked the board to sign him on a permanent deal?

Listen, the board know how I feel about Adam. That was my reason for bringing him in. I felt that he has been the real catalyst for us over the course of the last few months. He has come in and I knew what I was getting. I had seen him live in the Premier League and he was 18 then and he has all the attributes. He is fast and dynamic, he had great strength and I felt that with some better positioning, he would get goals. I think what he has done is that he has shown that he is a goalscorer. He has scored different types of goals - headers and penalties, he has great movement in the box in pressure moments. The winner was a number nine sniffing in and around the box for anything that spilled out. He has been absolutely immense for us. He is clearly someone that I'd like to do something with.

He has been immense for you but you have been very good for him. Have you seen the development of him over this period?

I think that is what the game is about. It is about evolution and players improving. I just know with Adam that he has such a high ceiling. The Premier League is the best and most competitive league in world football and there is a certain physicality that you need at that level. He showed that as a young player and maybe got lost a little bit with injuries and stuff. Coming to Celtic and the pressure of being at a big club and this is a big club, from the inside we are a small family but from the outside, this is a massive club. You learn how to prepare each day and you can't have a lazy day as you have to be on it every day. Adam has really benefited from that and the environment has made him grow.

How confident are you that you can get something done in the summer?

I don't know. The board will have a wee look at that.

Adam has scored nine goals and every one of them has been critical. He has yielded 16 points and won the Scottish Cup for Celtic. That is an excellent contribution, isn't it despite playing in fits and starts?

He was very clear on the role. He had clarity on how I would use him. It was a case of coming in and getting a feel for us. I'll see how you work. He was going to start games and he was going to come on in games but always be ready to make an impact. His confidence has never wavered from that. He has been a brilliant team player. I speak to Cal (McGregor) and the other guys and he is such a good guy as well and all the players love him. What I love about him is that he is a big game player and in so many big moments he has stepped up to the plate. I was so happy for him. A boy from Ireland playing in the Scottish Cup final and scoring a goal for Celtic against Rangers. Wow! What a summer he will have.

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I take it he has indicated that he wants to be here next season. Has he told you that?

It is something that will remain private. There is still a lot of work to do. He knows my feelings, the club know my feelings and we will see what happens.

Do you think you should have had a penalty in the first half?

To be honest I haven't seen anything back in the game. I can't really comment on that.

Joe Hart got his dream ending to his career. How happy are you for Joe?

Yes. It is brilliant. He finished on a clean sheet as a goalkeeper. This is a guy who has trained for 21 years and we have some young players who have completed their first season of training with us and had over 200 sessions. Joe has done about 4,200 training sessions in his career and every time I see him every day it is like his first. His enthusiasm, love for the game, leadership and just everything about him is top class. What a way for him to finish. To be a double winner at a club like Celtic will see him idolised for the rest of his life. I am so pleased for him.

You took the players to Seamill to prepare for the Kilmarnock game before you won the title. Was May 25th and the historical significance of that date mentioned in the build-up this week?

I would be lying if I said yes. The answer is no. The significance will come afterwards. I don't like to add pressure to the players. It is an iconic date that is synonymous with this club and always will be. This will join it. The guys winning the League and Scottish Cup double on this date. It will be a great memory for all Celtic supporters but I did not touch on that beforehand.