Manager: We're hungry for victory in the final

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Celtic F.C.

·13 December 2024

Manager: We're hungry for victory in the final

All eyes will be locked on Hampden Park come 3.30pm on Sunday, where Celtic will have an opportunity to clinch the first silverware of the season as they compete for what would be the 22nd League Cup triumph in the club’s history.

Standing between the champions and another trophy lift are city rivals, Rangers, and the last time the two teams met at the national stadium, Adam Idah pounced in the dying minutes of the match to clinch the Scottish Cup and seal the double for Celtic.

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Speaking to the media ahead of Sunday’s Glasgow derby final, Brendan Rodgers said that his side have a hunger for victory, not only on Sunday but in every game that they play.

“It’s a really special game, being a Celtic v Rangers final,” he said. “We had one in the Scottish Cup final and there’s always a great build up to them.

“There’s always a real excitement and for us, it’s a special game.

‘But it’s the next game, and the next game that we want to win. That’s our mindset going in.’

“We’ve enjoyed Hampden, we’ve enjoyed playing there. The big pitch suits us. There’s lots of space for you to play and that’s something that, in my time there, we’ve enjoyed.

“It’s a competition that we missed out on last year, so we’re very hungry to win this one.”

Brendan Rodgers' trophy haul over his two spells as Celtic manager makes for impressive reading, with the Hoops boss currently sitting on nine major honours with the Celts.

However, despite having trekked the path to victory so many times during his reign in the Celtic dugout, he said that he takes nothing for granted as he prepares his team to battle for more silverware and more history on Sunday.

He said: "Just because you’ve won before doesn’t mean you can turn up and not prepare. For me, the success that we’ve had there has been about the preparation going in to the game.

“I feel, going in to these games, it’s never so much about who we play. It’s about how we play. And that’s always been a real focus.

“It's the first trophy of the season. We’ve had a brilliant season up until now and this would be a great way to have something tangible to show for that. But you have to earn it, and that’s what we’re ready for.”

With a squad which is littered with quality in every position, Brendan Rodgers is spoiled for choice when it comes to his team selection for Sunday.

The Hoops boss knows that every player will be desperate to play their part on Sunday, but he explained that the players who will be tasked with making an impact off the bench will have as important a role to play as the players who will start the game.

He added: “What’s key and what I love about the collective here in terms of how we work is that the guys put aside any disappointment.

“I know as a manager that everyone will feel that they want to start in a final, they want to walk out that tunnel, but that isn’t always what will win you it. It can be the guys that will make the impact coming off the bench.

“That’s what we’ve been reliant on, in our form and in our work up until this point and Sunday will be no different.”

Kick-off at Hampden Park on Sunday is at 3.30pm and you can follow all the action on our Official Match Centre