MID-SEASON BREAK AN ASSET FOR RODGERS

BRENDAN RODGERS has a team of sports scientists and fitness experts to keep his players in prime condition, yet the Celtic manager still feels like an endurance coach.

Having crammed a full season’s worth of football into the last five-and-a-half months of 2017, Rodgers admits he was exhausted and relieved to get his players over the line and on to their sun loungers for the winter recess.

Domestically, Celtic swept all before them in 2017 and collected all three Scottish trophies available in the calendar year but looked tired through December, not least in the 0-0 draw with Rangers last weekend, their 38th fixture of the season already.

After a week of rest and relaxation, the squad has now reconvened for a training camp in Dubai, where the Northern Irishman is looking forward to some pure coaching time.

‘The Rangers game brought an incredible year, an iconic year for the club, to an end but it was our 38th game — that’s a season,’ said Rodgers. ‘Someone pointed out to me I had 96 games as manager of Swansea City in total but I’ve now had 97 at Celtic in a lot less time.’

Rodgers managed Swansea for two years, the first of which was spent in the notoriously gruelling environment of the English Championship and involved a fourgame play-off schedule to achieve promotion.

That he has equalled that twoyear tally in just 18 months in Glasgow speaks not only to Celtic’s success in each of the cup competitions but also the exertions of European football and, in particular, the Champions League qualifiers.

He continued: ‘For me, variety is important and the break is one of the great things about Scottish football.

‘It breaks the cycle and it’s nice. The players have had a week with their families to do what they want and relax. Now we get into that second week where they work hard and it gives us a chance to eat together in a different climate.

‘The trip allows us to go and reflect as staff but also to impose some of our ways, especially our defending principles.

‘It’s work, but it gives us a chance to reset and get in some really good coaching. That was the benefit of going to Dubai last year.’