Brendan Rodgers accepts there is ‘expectation’ of Celtic winning trebles

Brendan Rodgers believes there is now an “expectation” of Celtic winning domestic trebles as the Parkhead club closes in on the sixth clean sweep in nine years.

The Northern Irishman began the Hoops’ unprecedented period of domination with an invincible treble in 2017.

He won the three major trophies in Scotland again the following year and, in his second spell at Parkhead, is odds-on to clinch yet another treble when Celtic face Aberdeen in the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup final on May 24.

Up until Rodgers arrived in the east end of Glasgow in 2016, Celtic had won only three trebles since starting out in 1888.

The former Liverpool and Leicester boss is now Celtic’s third most successful manager after Willie Maley and Jock Stein, with this season’s William Hill Premiership title his 11th trophy and the 13th league win in 14 seasons for the Hoops.

Rodgers told CelticTV: “When I came in 2016, the treble wasn’t mentioned so much. It was just not the thing that happened.

“But now the players have had success from that moment, they feel good, and they know the expectations, they know the desires of the club and what it is we want to achieve.

“When I came in 2016, it had already been done three times in the history of the club and when you think from 1888 to that point, it’s a remarkably long period of time with brilliant managers and brilliant players.

“But what we tried to do in 2016 was up the level of professionalism, up the mentality, so that everyone then had to come in tune with my vision and how we wanted to work.

“And once we achieved that in the 2017 final, it was a real good feeling with a group of players that they were inspired then to keep going.

“And from then the club has been able to roll it out and do it a few more times since.

“But it’s definitely something that’s an expectation, which is an incredible thing to say when you know what you have to go through in order to win the three competitions, it’s not easy at all.

“People take it for granted now but there’s so many things can go against you as a player and a manager.

“And for us to have done that over the course of nine seasons, it’s a true reflection of the professionalism, the quality and you also need that bit of good fortune in the journey as well.”

Celtic return to Parkhead as champions this weekend to take on a Hibernian side still chasing third place and Rodgers insists his players will train “like animals” to keep the standards high.

He said: “It’s important that the players and the staff and the people enjoy the success of which we’ve had to this point.

“But from today, it’s 18 days left in the season for us to train like animals, every single day, to recover the very best way that we can in those days off, and then be in here to get ready, get prepared, take on the games.

“We have three games in a week before we lead into the Scottish Cup final. So for us and being a Celtic player, this is what it’s about.”