Rodgers hails his ‘brilliant’ Hoops

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers believes there are potential candidates for player of the year throughout his Ladbrokes Premiership winning team.

PFA Scotland voting forms have been issued to players ahead of the awards ceremony, and Rodgers expects his men to dominate the nominations.

The likes of Scott Sinclair, Moussa Dembele, Stuart Armstrong and Scott Brown could make it a clean sweep on the four-man shortlist after unbeaten Celtic wrapped up the Premiership title on April 2.

“The team collectively have been brilliant, right the way through. And there’s so many of them. You could go through the whole squad, players that have performed consistently at a really high level in big games,” Rodgers said.

“I’ve got the best players. The best players are playing for Celtic.

“There’s some very, very good players I have come across in the league, there’s no doubt about that. The likes of young Jonny Hayes at Aberdeen. I know Jonny well, I took him across to England when I was at Reading, so I know Jonny very well and he has been outstanding.

“Niall McGinn and Kenny McLean have been very, very good, and Aberdeen rightly are in second place and have consistently been very good.

“They have had some excellent performers in their team, but of course I look at my own and I don’t think I would swap any of them for anyone.”

Rodgers will have a vote in the managerial category and highlighted the work of Derek McInnes, Alan Archibald and Tommy Wright.

“There’s been a lot of the guys up here that I’ve been very impressed with,” the former Liverpool manager said.

“It’s been great for me to meet a lot of people that I haven’t known. I only really knew Derek when I came up here. He has done an outstanding job with Aberdeen, how he has consistently got the players performing the level that they play at. He has been very, very good.

“There are other managers in there, Alan at Partick Thistle. I said right early on, when they were bottom of the table, that I was really impressed with their work, and it’s nice to see how they have grown and developed over the course of the season.

“I’m an admirer of Tommy at St Johnstone, he always does a great job.

“There’s been a lot of changes in the league of course. You are always sad when managers lose their job as well. You can’t forget them. We started this competition, this race, and unfortunately all the managers don’t finish it.”

Rodgers’ most pressing selection is his next team for Sunday’s Ladbrokes Premiership contest with Ross County in Dingwall.

Striker Leigh Griffiths is available again after a fractured bone in his back.

“He has been back training,” Rodgers said.

“He came back on Tuesday looking sharp and looking well, so he’s in the squad.

“We have got a couple of wee niggles that we will just keep an eye on over the next couple of days.”

Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers is in no doubt he has the best players.