Brendan admits the supporter in him led

Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers has relived the moment Edouard Odsonne’s winner against Rangers sent him s printing up the Ibr ox touchline in delight.

“I do tend to find myself wanting to run against Rangers!” the Celtic gaffer said, with a laugh, at the thought of his enthusiastic celebrations during last month’s league victory at the home of his side’s greatest rivals.

“That is probably just the supporter in me. Last time I pulled my calf!

“But listen, these are very highly-charged games and the atmosphere on the day was brilliant.

“You have to say that when Rangers scored that first goal, anybody who was there would have said: ‘Bloody hell, what a game this is going to be’.

“And then for us to come through, it was really pleasing.”

This afternoon’s Scottish Cup semi- final renewal will see Rodgers move into derby double figures as a Hoops boss. He has yet to lose.

However, if it is a milestone which underlines how often the top teams meet in this countr y, he insists rapid repetition has yet to dull his appreciation of the fixture.

“Oh, aye, there is a real buzz of excitement when you wake up in the morning and think: ‘ We are playing Rangers this afternoon’. There is no doubt about that at all,” Rodgers said.

“Just the sense of being in the middle of it and being able to affect it. So every game gives you that buzz. It is a fantastic fixture.

“My memories of it go way, way back to when Peter McCloy was in goal for Rangers, watching the games on BBC Scotland, so we had to watch them in the house.

“I remember the strips, and John Mcclelland because he was obviously Northern Irish, and Jimmy Nicholl, too.”

As much as he relishes the occasion, the Celtic manager focuses on the importance of