BLINGS CAN ONLY GET BITTER
Rodgers: If you’re going to have Louis Vuitton gear you better make sure you’ve earned it!
BRENDAN RODGERS has warned his Celtic youngsters they won’t be getting the soft-soap treatment at Lennoxtown. Just because they are part of the set up and have the tracksuit to match, it doesn’t mean they have a top-class career in the bag. The Parkhead boss has no fears chucking young players into his side but he has warned his kids not to get too far ahead of themselves. The ex-anfield boss wants his youngsters hungry for more rather than just pocketing huge amounts of dough. He’ll be happy to sign off on lucrative contracts eventually but the kids have to prove they are worth it. Rodgers said: “You have to be careful with young players. I say to them here that it’s very easy to walk around with the Louis Vuitton soap bag. But when you walk out of here, don’t tell people you play for Celtic. No, you are training with Celtic. You are playing for Celtic when you are in the first team. “Lots of young players these days look good, they smell nice, but they don’t put the work in. They don’t play. It’s about working to play for the first team. “Thankfully with Tony and the likes, he’s not that type. “But there is one common denominator when it comes to young players falling by the wayside – money. It distorts reality. It changes people. I’m always cautious of that. I had Raheem Sterling (below) playing for England and a regular at Liverpool on £2000 per week. “With young players, one, they have to earn it and, two, you don’t go overboard with them because they have played a couple of good games. “Stay calm. See how consistent and professional they are, and if they are doing well they will always get rewarded. Let them get some games in their legs and go from there.” Rodgers keeps a firm grip on the young prospects but he admitted he doesn’t have much to worry about when it comes to the Parkhead kids. Ralston has been in the spotlight in recent weeks and hasn’t blinked in the glare. It was a bold move to pitch him in against PSG but the full back refused to hide on a torrid night. Rodgers insisted Ralston’s feet are firmly planted. He said: “Tony has done very well. “He still has some improvements to make but there’s a really good base for him to be a part of the team. “I like young players but I don’t like them to act young. You need to have a maturity, especially at a big club like this one, with the focus on you. “The young players I’ve brought in have all been great. I don’t have any qualms about how they live their life. “They all know the demands to be here.”