Mac the knife basks in glow of putting Gers to the sword...

they have to have the quality.

“There are a number of young players here and when we get the right moment they will get the opportunity to play.

“This season it has been difficult of course because of the level the [first team] players have been playing at.

“It is a heavy shirt, the Celtic shirt, and you have to be ready to wear it.

“A lot of players can’t cope with it. At another club there is 10 things to think about.

“At Celtic there is 20. You have to prepare them for that. It is not just a case of throwing them in and then chucking them to the garbage.

“Stay calm, let them learn their trade. They might need to get experience outside of here to get experience in here.”

As for what happens with Roberts this summer, Rodgers feels it would do him no harm to continue in Scotland and would definitely make the deal happen if he became available on a permanent transfer.

“It is a possibility,” said the Northern Irishman. “I would definitely take him, there is no question about that. Like I say, it is about his career path. He is 19 and you would want that to continue.

“It certainly wouldn’t harm Pat to come here for the next two or three years, and just continue that development.” PATRICK ROBERTS has enjoyed his loan spell at Celtic so much that he would give it 11 out of 10.

The 20-year-old Londoner, who has scooped the Ladbrokes Premiership and BetFred Cup titles already this season, says his 18-month sojourn in Scotland has exceeded his expectations in every way – and the Parkhead club will always have a special place in his heart.

One of the moments he will cherish the most is playing in Saturday’s 5-1 win at Ibrox and one of the things he will miss most when he returns to Manchester City this summer is the “banter” of his team-mate and good pal Kieran Tierney.

“It would probably give my loan spell more than 10 – the highest you could give,” said Roberts.

“It has just been a great season, unbelievable, enjoyable. We have been playing brilliant football, so the highest mark possible for this season.”

Speaking at the club’s awards ceremony last week, Brendan Rodgers said the Englishman was so highly thought of that his fellow players would have a whip round to persuade him to stay.

“Yeah, that was kind of embarrassing!” said Roberts. “No, it was nice for me to know that the Celtic fans have taken to me and everyone supports me 100 per cent.

“It is all I could have asked for when I came up here and Celtic will always have a piece of my heart no matter what happens.

“Kieran has quite good banter at times. He speaks to me each day and is a good lad so he’ll be missed.”

Roberts feels he is a vastly improved player from the one which left Manchester City on-loan under Ronny Deila in January 2016.

“My game has come on this year, technically and tactically,” he said.

“Winning every game is crucial and I have got that winning mentality which I can take into any team that I play in.”

MIDFIELDER Ca l lum McGregor has enjoyed the best fortnight of his Celtic career.

The 23-year-old, who has been at the Parkhead club since he was nine years old, aside from a loan spell at Notts County, has spent the week basking in the glory of the Hoops’ biggest ever win over Old Firm rivals Rangers at Ibrox.

McGregor scored the third in a 5-1 thumping of the Gers a week after notching against the Light Blues in the 2-0 William Hill Scottish Cup semi-final win at Hampden Park.

Ahead of the visit of St Johnstone in the Ladbrokes Premiership today, where Brendan Rodgers’ Treblechasing side look to maintain their unbeaten domestic run, McGregor said: “It has been incredible, this week and last week, to get those two goals against Rangers and to beat them convincingly.

“It has been a good period for me. Building into the two Rangers games I was playing well and gaining more and more confidence, so it has been a good period for myself.

“When you are doing well and scoring goals you just want to keep playing and keep t he games coming.”

A year ago Celtic had been knocked out of the Scottish Cup semi-final by Rangers in a penalty shoot-out.

Rodgers took over from Norwegian boss Ronny Deila in the summer and McGregor revealed the difference the Northern Irishman has made to a side who stand a Scottish Cup final win over Aberdeen away from clinching the Treble.

He said: “It has been a total contrast. That was a bad period for the club, a bad week for the club but you see how far we have come on from that.

“With 2,000 people showing up to see us modelling the new kit, it is an incredible feelgood factor.

“When you are in the team you need to do well to stay in and obviously you want to be a part of that day (final) as well.

“I am sure all the players between now and then will be doing their best to stay in the manager’s thoughts.”

McGREGOR credited Rodgers with instilling confidence into his game and he looks forward to building on that form next season.

“You’ve played in the big games and affected them,” he said. “It’s good to have that going into next year and hopefully kick on.

“We’ll come back in with that fresh hunger to get even better.”

Rodgers is on the shortlist for the PFA Scotland manager of the year award along with Derek McInnes of Aberdeen, Partick Thistle’s Alan Archibald and Morton’s Jim Duffy.

The former Swansea and Liverpool boss paid tribute to Saints counterpart and fellow Northern Irishman Tommy Wright.

Saints showed the quality which saw them again clinch a top-six spot when they beat Aberdeen 2-0 at Pittodrie last week.

“It is a great achievement,” said Rodgers. “Having played against them three times, he sets his team up very, very well. “His result last week away at Aberdeen shows they are a tough team to play against.

“We know it’s going to be a tough game. We’re at home, we have to always respect Tommy and his team but will again look to get a good result.”