ROGIC BOOST
Aussie pens five-year contract ahead of final
TOM ROGIC last night handed Celtic a huge pre-Scottish Cup final boost by signing a new five-year contract.
And the Australian midfielder, who scored the dramatic Hampden winner to clinch last season’s Invincible clean sweep, has his sights set on further success ahead of tomorrow’s bid to win back-to-back Trebles.
Rogic had drawn interest from Southampton as he approached the final 12 months of his old deal. There was also the possibility of attracting further suitors by impressing for his nation at this summer’s World Cup in Russia.
Parkhead boss Brendan Rodgers had been prepared to wait for an answer on the 25-year-old’s future, but Rogic has now committed himself to Celtic until 2023. ‘I feel great to have signed a new deal,’ he said. ‘I’m proud and honoured to be able to commit my future to the club. I enjoy playing regular football here. I’m working under a top-class manager and to play
my club football here is something that’s very special to me, so I couldn’t be happier to have signed a new contract. ‘The support here is very special and sometimes it’s hard to describe. ‘To feel so loved and wanted by the fans is all a player can really ask for. ‘It’s my job and the players’ job to repay that to them. ‘Now that my future’s sorted I can focus completely on playing football and giving everything I have for the club, as I have done for the past five years.’ Rogic signed for Celtic in January 2013 from Central Coast Mariners in his homeland, but didn’t fully establish himself until the 2015/16 season. He has further flourished under Rodgers’ management, becoming a regular scorer in key fixtures. Speaking ahead of tomorrow’s return to the national stadium to face Motherwell, he admitted last season’s historymaking goal against Aberdeen to win the Scottish Cup stood out as an obvious highlight. ‘When you win a single trophy it’s something very special, so to have won as many as I have here is another reason why I love it here and why I feel very privileged to represent the club,’ Rogic told the Celtic website. ‘The Scottish Cup final goal last season was a pretty special moment that I think will be hard to top. ‘I’ve played in a lot of big games here at this club and to have contributed a small part to that makes me very proud. ‘I’ll keep working as hard as I can to hopefully create more in the future.’ Rogic had been in the same contract position as Belgian defender Dedryck Boyata, who admitted this week that he was keen to remain at Celtic. ‘I think that is one that’ll probably drift through the summer,’ said Rodgers of the negotiations with Boyata (left). ‘He just needs to concentrate on playing well and being ready for the weekend. ‘We’ll see what happens on Monday if he’s in the Belgian squad for the World Cup and then he’ll come back and we’ll look at it from there. ‘But he’s a really good guy. ‘Rightly so, he’s at that stage of his career where he had to have a good think about it. ‘He’s 27, so his next contract is a big contract for him. ‘You have to allow the guys that time and, for me, as long as nothing changes and nothing shifts in their attitude — that’s okay. It’s never always the player, it could be the club. ‘Hopefully they find the solutions between both.’