As good as it gets for Roberts

winner’s medal. “I thought it was only right to get his shirt out, if he wasn’t going to make it, because the fans love him to bits,” explained Roberts. “He’s Mr Celtic.

“When he did turn up, there was more anger than joy when he picked up the trophy!

“I’m just delighted for him because he’s born into this club. To win a treble and go a whole season invincible at the club he supports, it’s massive to him.”

Roberts did hint at a Parkhead return. “If it is a goodbye, it will be a tough goodbye, because it’s a massive club. Especially coming up here, they took me when I was only 19. To go on loan at a club like this is massive. I’ve been given an opportunity to play in truly massive games, to win trophies and win titles. It’s more than I could have asked for.” Quizzed on his use of “if”, he added: “I’m not going to say anything in case you read into it!”

Perhaps only James Forrest, who lost his place to Roberts towards the end of the season, could be in any way unhappy at the player’s decision to miss the Under-20s World Cup in Korea with England for the chance to seal the treble.

Forrest was an unused substitute on Saturday but contributed plenty during the season. Roberts proved difficult to dislodge after scoring five of his 11 goals for the season in the last weeks of the campaign.

“I had the belief that we could do something special, that we could come here and win the trophy,” said Roberts, with reference to opting out of the trip to Asia. “The lads are doing well out there anyway, so they don’t need me! But it’s a good decisionandi’mgladimadeit.”

Callum Mcgregor found himself re-allocated to leftback after Tierney’s departure. Apart from one mistake which nearly let Aberdeen in seven minutes into the second half, he proved as reliable as ever.

“To be fair I think that was one of the only breakaways they had in the second half,” said Mcgregor, who has emerged as one of Celtic’s pivotal figures of the season. “It was a pretty scary moment, aye! Normally when you make a mistake like that you get punished for it but thankfully this time we didn’t.”

Mcgregor, pictured left, was absent from the Scotland squad for the forthcoming clash with England named by Gordon Strachan a week ago.

Even though Scotland could be in need of a full-back given Tierney’s likely absence, the 23-year-old isn’t expecting a call-up. He is going to Puerto Banus with his family and expects to watch the World Cup qualifier over there.

“I have booked a holiday so unless I get a call I reckon that is my season over,” he said. “Of course it is disappointing not to get the call. I just have to focus on my Celtic stuff.”