I FEARED I WOULD BE A BIG FLOP
BRENDAN RODGERS stands on the verge of football immortality with Celtic just 90 minutes away from completing an unprecedented Double Treble.
But the Ulsterman’s biggest fear when he walked into Parkhead was that he would end up being a total disaster.
Rodgers does not have to worry about that now after creating an unforgettable chapter in the club’s history with last season’s unbeaten clean sweep.
And now the Celtic boss and his players are just a win away from securing back-to-back Trebles when they take on Motherwell at Hampden.
Only legendary Hoops boss Jock Stein and Rangers’ Walter Smith have been where Rodgers is but both fell at the last hurdle when they lost their respective Scottish Cup finals.
As he aims to go one better, Rodgers said: “I said last year that thing for me is that whenever the time comes to leave here I wanted to know I wasn’t a total disaster.
“That is always the fear. You come into a club you support and you’ve got to be with friends and family for the rest of your life once you’ve gone saying you were hopeless.
“At least I have got something to show and if we can get our sixth trophy in two seasons it would be absolutely amazing.
“You think of the great history of Scottish football – in all the various eras and levels of players – and there’s
Fourth round: Celtic 5 Brechin 0 Fifth round: Celtic 3 Partick 2 Quarter-final: Celtic 3 Morton 0 Semi-final: Celtic 4 Rangers 0
Fourth round: Motherwell 2 Hamilton 0 Fifth round: Dundee 0 Motherwell 2 Quarter-final: Motherwell 2 Hearts 1 Semi-final: Motherwell 3 Aberdeen 0
a reason why it’s never been done.
“All you want is a chance and we have a chance. It’s a brilliant chance for us. I never say to the players, ‘You’ve got to take this chance because it will be the only chance in your life’ because part of me thinks, ‘Do you not think you can do it again?’.
“So I never really go down that route with players but there’s no doubt there’s an opportunity to write another chapter in the great history of the club.
“My job, as I said when I first came in, was to inspire supporters and give them some great memories. If we win, that will do that for them.”
Rodgers believes the experience his seven-in-a-row champions gained in winning last season’s Treble will stand them in good stead.
He added: “There is a different feeling this year because of that experience that the players have gained. You can anticipate a bit more how it will all work out.
“But certainly when we get up on Saturday morning and get ready knowing we are coming in to a really special occasion then of course the edge and the adrenaline will start to kick in.
“But we had a wonderful experience last year. It was fantastic to win it and to win the treble was a real special occasion.”