Danny McGreat
Rodgers: I’m thrilled legend will unfurl flag, he’s a huge part of my childhood along with Roy and George – only one missing around club is Anton Rogan!
BRENDAN RODGERS says the iconic presence of Danny McGrain unfurling Celtic’s seventh straight title flag today will inspire his troops to be great in making it eight. The Parkhead legend has the honour of celebrating last term’s title success before the campaign opener against Livingston and Hoops boss Rodgers reckons there is no one better for the job. It’s nothing new for McGrain. In a glittering 17-year spell in at Celtic he won seven titles of his own along with five Scottish Cups and two League Cups. At 68, his playing career ended long ago but his stature and influence as coach at the club has never diminished. McGrain isn’t just a trophy-winning ex-captain. As far as Rodgers is concerned he’s a hero. An ambassador and a driving force for generations who have followed, including the group. Barely a day goes by Rodgers doesn’t spend some time with McGrain. Tapping into his experience, knowledge and nous.
When Rodgers asks his players to raise the bar again this term having just secured back-to-back trebles it’s hard to imagine what adjectives are left for him to dig out. But in the shape of McGrain no words are needed. His presence and status do the talking.
Rodgers said: “I speak with Danny virtually every day he’s here. Have lunch with him and sit for 15 or 20 minutes and I always get a wee nugget from him I can relate somewhere in my life to football because he’s so humble.
“These guys never knew how good they were. Daniel Fergus McGrain. It’s brilliant to have him. It’s constant. It’s a winning club. When the expectancy is to win, the club has to be at a certain standard.
“You look at Danny’s record, the titles he has won, the appearances he has made, these are real symbols of the expectations the club is held to. It’s still the same issues.
“I remember talking to
Danny once and he spoke about playing for Scotland and coming across things he’d never encountered domestically.
“The game has evolved, got quicker and faster but lots of it is the same.
“The esteem and respect he has, he’s always there for them in the background to give a word of encouragement or a slap on the backside.
“I see Danny, I see guys like George McCluskey and I’m like still a big child. This is my childhood. Seeing guys like Roy Aitken back in. We just need Anton Rogan showing up!
“These are the fellas who made the club what it is and are wonderful symbols of our past, yet very much part of our present because they’re real icons.
“In that era, you look at the appearances they had. The likes of Danny, Roy, TB, bless him. These guys were real contributors to the status that Celtic is and I tap into that.
“Absolutely, it (the league) is our No.1 competition. The Premiership is your bread and butter, it’s where you want to prevail. Your first aim is to win your league and that allows you to savour everycurrent thing that comes after that. So I will enjoy watching Danny unfurl it and then we’ll get on with trying to secure a good win.”
The individual slipping into the opposite technical area plotting to spoil the party will be Kenny Miller, in charge of a top-flight side for the first time in his career.
While acknowledging the Livi player-manager’s route into the job differs from his own, the Celtic boss reckons it could be the beginning of an exciting journey for Miller.
Rodgers said: “I was coaching 15 years before I took a job at 35 and experienced a lot. Then you go into management.
“Kenny’s pathway is totally different but that doesn’t make it wrong. He has a lot of playing experience and still wants to play. Now he’ll manage an on-field scenario.
“He’ll see the difficulties, he’ll learn from them and he’ll be better if he wants to continue doing it in five or 10 years time.
“You don’t see it (playerboss) so much now because it’s such a difficult job, everything has evolved in management.
“But he feels he can do it and that’s a great feeling that he obviously had for the job. I wish him all the very best.”
I always get a wee nugget from Danny I can relate to football. He’s so humble BRENDAN RODGERS