Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Rodgers: Stu’s been brilliant
CELTIC boss Brendan Rodgers and midfielder Stuart Armstrong touched down in the Middle East for a week of warm-weather work-outs to find a pair of trophies awaiting them at the team hotel after they were named Manager and Player of the Month for December.
With eight league wins and a Champions League draw away to Manchester City, Rodgers was t he stand-out candidate in his category.
And he paid tribute to former Tannadice favourite Armstrong, who struck five goals during the festive season to prove he has shaken off the period of frustration he spent stuck on the wing under former boss Ronny Deila last term.
Rodgers said: “Stuart has been absolutely brilliant i n the l ast few months. He has really grown into that role of how I would ask the No 8 to play and his game play has been sensational.
“The beauty of Stuart is there are still improvements he can make, which is only going to make him a better player.
“But he thoroughly deserves his award and he should feel really honoured by that, because his performances have allowed it.
“Whenever a manager picks up an award i t ’s because of a team effort, so I picked this one up on behalf of my coaching staff, my medical staff, everybody throughout the club and of course the players.”
Meanwhile, Rodgers said his side will return from their break in Dubai feeling fresher than ever.
He said: “After the game on Hogmanay, we gave the players six days off to be with their families.
“Then we came out here to Dubai and, while we’re still working very hard, it’s a chance to recuperate the body, to recover and relax.
“We can also grow closer together as a squad.”