Rodgers the hilt... NEY

“Talent is fine. I’ve done that all my life, all my career. I’ve worked on improving talents, whether it’s 19 year olds, 20 year olds, 17 and 18 year olds. But you also need proven talent.

“And there is an expectation here at Celtic to work, not just alongside the talent, but to have proven talent that’s going to allow us to grow.”

If there is an element of discord between the boardroom and the dressing room when it comes to ambitions in terms of signings, it has not manifested itself adversely on the pitch.

Rodgers has taken the club to the halfway point of the qualification stage for the group stages and there has been a fluency about Celtic’s performances in the opening weeks of the campaign.

The manager himself sought to offer an assurance that he remains on song when it comes to the daily graft but equally there is a sense of expectancy now before the closure of the window at the end of the month.

“I love it here. I love my work,” said Rodgers. “I love working with the players, developing the team.

“We just try to push the very best we can to deliver on the expectation of what the supporters want.

“The board and everyone are fully understanding and clear and have clarity on my ambitions. Absolutely.

“I think we will see how it all evolves down south when the window shuts. My concern is not that side of it but rather on getting quality in. That is the business side. I run football and operate football and I want top footballers in and I want to work with them as quickly as I possibly can. If there is a business side to it, I understand that but I operate in football and I want footballers in.”