Brendan Rodgers: It's a great feeling to finish the season with a Double

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Celtic F.C.

·25 May 2024

Brendan Rodgers: It's a great feeling to finish the season with a Double

Brendan Rodgers likes the Scottish Cup – he has won all 17 of the ties he’s been involved in as Celtic manager.

He likes Hampden, having yet to taste defeat at the National Stadium in 10 games.

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And as a Celtic supporter, he is well aware of the history of the club, including the significance of May 25 in the Celtic story.

So it should perhaps come as no surprise that he guided the Hoops to another Scottish Cup triumph at Hampden on May 25, 2024, securing the Double in the process.

Adam Idah’s last-minute goal was enough to beat Rangers 1-0 and deliver more silverware to the club.

Not surprisingly, the Celtic manager was delighted with the outcome of the game and the season panned out, winning both the Premiership title and the Scottish Cup.

Speaking to Celtic TV after the victory at Hampden, Brendan Rodgers said: “It was very tense game, a real nail-biting game at 0-0.

"But the players’ mentality to come through the game and win it just really typifies how they’ve been over the course of the season, so I’m so proud of them and it’s an amazing day for the club.

'I’m very conscious of the incredible history of this club but also it’s important for the new generation of players in this era and this team to create their own history.'

“We arrived into the game in a really good mindset – you can’t play beautiful football in every single game, and you saw that today with two different styles today in the game.

“But the resilience and mentality really pushes us on to keep fighting and keep working, and eventually our drive and desire to win the game shines through.

“I said to the players beforehand that when they arrive into this game today, it’s not the week’s preparation leading into it, it’s all about the other 51 weeks and how you work and how you’re discipline is, how your mentality is and your professionalism.

“That all then drives through into a game like today.

'So for the players to have come through a very tough game and come out as winners and have a really fantastic end to the season, I’m so proud of them.'

It was Brendan Rodgers who brought Adam Idah to the club in January, on loan from Norwich City, and the Irish striker repaid the faith shown in him by his fellow countryman, scoring nine vital goals including today’s winner at Hampden.

“To score a winning goal in a Scottish Cup final, and especially coming from Ireland, it’s a fairytale really and I’m so pleased for him,” said the manager.

“He came in and he was not playing so much at Norwich, but I’d seen him before and I know the talent he has, and I think he still has so much improvement to make, but I’m really pleased for him.

'It’s different types of goals he’s scored – great headed goals, he’s showed pace in behind and showed composure in penalties, and today that was a real striker’s goal inside the box.'

“For me he’s been the single biggest catalyst of our run-in, certainly since he’s come in back in January, the importance he’s brought to the team, the reference he’s given the team. He’s shared the load with Kyogo and I’m so happy for him.

“We want to win and we want to win trophies consistently, so coming here you have to play well and have confidence that you can do that. So it’s nice to be able to finish with a double.”