Celtic boss hails Rogic’s talent

Boss Brendan Rodgers hailed “fantastic” Tom Rogic after the midfielder engineered Celtic’s 2-0 win at Rugby Park on Saturday.

The Australia international showed quick feet to get away from Adam Frizzell to set up stand-in centre forward James Forrest for the opener just before the break.

A much-changed Hoops side largely controlled the second half and with two minutes remaining Rogic forged forward to play in midfielder Callum McGregor who sealed the win and three Ladbrokes Premiership points.

Rodgers said: “He is a big talent.

“If you watch the goal closely, it was just absolute magic.

“We worked the ball really well and if you notice on the replay he just lifts it over their player and continues his run.

“If he tries to put it on the floor the defender blocks him.

“He has the awareness to square it and it wasn’t an easy finish for James but he guided it in.

“And the second one shows the difference between a player who goes forward or just keeps possession.

“We always like to have good positions on the pitch, we want to keep the ball but we also want to penetrate and players like him, in the attacking third, they give you the ability to do that.”

Rodgers made six changes to his side as Stuart Armstrong, who signed a new two-year contract on Friday, fellow midfielder McGregor and teenagers Kristoffer Ajer, Calvin Miller, Anthony Ralston and Kundai Benyu came into the side.

The former Swansea City and Liverpool boss was pleased by the way his young players adapted.

He said: “It is how we train. They have to understand the structure of the team so it is just replacing one player for one with a similar profile.

“That is what you look for when you are recruiting players.”

Tom Rogic: set up both goals at Rugby Park.