Mateo’s no way to Jose
I will always try to share. It’s important I see Danny when he’s around the club.
“He will always give you a story or anecdote and I just try to use it in my own thinking and relate it to something.
“His presence around the training ground is very important as he is a real symbol of the great history of this club. It is a tradition up here which is very important.
“My job again is not just to defend the flag that’s unfurled but to win it again this season.
“That’s the task and we want to start how we mean to go on. It will be great to see Danny have the honour of raising the flag then we’ll get into the Livingston game and hopefully get off to a winning start.”
Kenny Miller’s newly-promoted Livi will be the visitors to Paradise for the first time in 12 years aiming to spoil the party atmosphere.
Rodgers is relishing the kick-off even if there has been a change of managerial personnel at the helm of the West Lothian outfit.
He told the Celtic View: “I know David Hopkin did a very good job in there over the last few seasons and to gain promotion last season was a great achievement.
“I saw them play one very cold night at Greenock Morton where they won 1-0 and Nicky Cadden scored a fantastic goal.
“Livingston will be committed and want to come into the Premiership and attack every game as they look to stay in the top league.
“Like every opponent, we will offer them respect and we have analysed their games over pre-season.
“Kenny Miller going in there in his first job is not an easy one, especially as player/ manager, but he’ll have a good look and feel for it.
“He has experience of coming to Celtic Park as a player and will be looking to inspire his team-mates. It will be a tough game for us but we will look forward to it. “The league is always a great starting point as it’s the bread and butter that allows you to qualify for Europe and it’s a season we are all excited about. “The players at this stage are all in very good physical condition and we have had some good results over the course of the pre-season campaign but also some good performances. “We aim to take that into the first game of the season.” BY DARREN LEWIS MANCHESTER United are set to miss out on Real Madrid’s Mateo Kovacic because he doesn’t want to with Jose Mourinho.
The Croatia midfielder – rated at £54million – is keen to leave Madrid in search of regular firstteam football.
United have made an approach for the player but he is understood to have made it clear he is “not interested”.
The Croat fears the style of play at Old Trafford would not suit his game.
It has left the way clear for the likes of Bayern Munich to move in ahead of next week’s Premier League transfer deadline.
Kovacic joined Madrid from Inter Milan, two of Mourinho’s former clubs, but was not at either side while the Portuguese was in charge.
He returns to training shortly following his role in Croatia’s run to the World Cup final.
It is the latest blow to the troubled Reds with Mourinho’s tactics and man-management style in the spotlight.