Humble Brendan is honoured to be up there with the greats
Brendan Rodgers says if he becomes the first manager to win the Double Treble, it will have been achieved through standing on the shoulders of giants.
No Scottish boss has ever succeeded in delivering back- to- back clean sweeps. Walter Smith came within 90 minutes of it in 1994, but had to watch his Rangers side suffer a shock Scottish Cup Final loss to Dundee United.
For Celtic managers, the yardstick is the club’s two previous Treble winners – Martin O’Neill and the iconic figure of Jock Stein.
And, while a c k n ow l e d g i n g the statement from Alan Stubbs that he would have to be held in the same regard should he deliver victory in Saturday’s showpiece against Motherwell, Rodgers pointed out the need to remember the legacies of those who have gone before. “It is very humbling,” he said. “We are talking about something that has never been done by all the great players, managers, the great history of Scottish football because it’s so difficult to do and we’re one game away from doing it, so it’s incredible.
“The likes of Jock Stein, they are the reason why all of us boys supported Celtic and why it was the great Glasgow Celtic because of guys like him.
“He was the pioneer for a lot of British coaches. You think of Fergie, Sir Alex, and the esteem that he is held in.
“Shankly, I was obviously aware of from my Liverpool days and the esteem that he held Jock in. The relationship they had.
“Being the first British side to break that cycle by winning of European Cup – that puts him way out there, that is for sure.
“The game has changed, of course, but then to sustain that for a number of years. He was the ultimate manager for here in everything that he did.
“Like I say, there have been lots of great managers after him, Martin being one of them.
“Me, I am just happy to be in this job that I love, that I am in no hurry to leave.
“I will get booted out at some time I am sure. But, hopefully, I will leave a feeling behind, that people have enjoyed the time I have been here.”
A judgement which, even now, he knows will be partially predicated on the result of the Hampden showpiece.
“Listen, there will always be criticisms and something pointed at you while you are here. You should win it, it’s too easy or blah, blah, blah. But for me to do it here would be spectacular,” he said.
“My granda was a big Liverpool supporter, but through my uncle Kevin and my cousin Kieran I have always been 100% aware of all the great traditions of this club. I know for sure that it would certainly be historic.
“Last year, there was all the euphoria around our invincible season and winning the Treble the first time. You saw what it means to the club and the supporters.
“This y e a r, the c h a l l e n g e, the expectation, the scrutiny, everything being greater. That’s why it has never been done before.
“I tend to try to detach the emotion from the preparation and just make sure we are focused on actually performing, but we know it will be a tough game.”
While keen to stand back from the heat surrounding this year’s Scottish Cup Final, Rodgers is, nevertheless, happy to relive the passion of last season’s Treble clincher.
“Of course, the game last year was special. Especially when Tom Rogic got his goal.
“People had asked in advance, what will it feel like and there is a moment when it hits you.
“I put my hands in my face and it was the realisation probably of all the questions that have come to me and the feeling is: ‘ Wow, you are nearly there!’.
“So, hopefully, this time we can have a similar moment. That would be great.”