Brendan Rodgers is no stranger to the Glasgow derby, having been in the Celtic dugout for 16 of the fixtures. His impressive record of 12 wins, three draws and only one defeat in the fixture shows that the Celtic manager relishes these pressurised matches.

“The preparation is very much based around ourselves,” he said. “Always respecting our opponent and what they might bring to the game, but then looking at how we play and our process in the game.

“It’s important to look after the details and focus on our own performance.”

The Celtic manager will be looking to see another good display from his side this weekend and admits that he is happy to see his captain, Callum McGregor, back to his best.

McGregor drew a huge reaction from the Celtic supporters during Saturday’s match against Hearts when he sprinted more than half the length of the pitch to win the ball and bring a halt to a Hearts counter-attack, and Brendan Rodgers was full of praise for his skipper.

“Callum’s importance cannot be underestimated within this team,” he said. “The experience he brings, the quality and how inspirational a leader he is.

“The run to challenge, not once but twice, you actually see what that gives the supporters. The intensity of pressing and aggression sometimes gets a bigger cheer than a pass or goal.

'It was fantastic for him and the team but also for me, knowing that he’s back to the level that he’s shown.'

The Hoops boss spoke after the weekend’s match about how good the atmosphere was within the stadium, and he is hoping for more of the same this Saturday as he looks to the supporters to play their part, along with the team, as they aim to go six points clear at the top of the table.

“I think the crowd at the Hearts game were brilliant for us,” he said. “I’ve mentioned before just how important they are at this stage of the season.

"You can see the emotion roll down from the stands on to the pitch, what that gives to the players and how they respond to that. So we’ll need the same this weekend and I know we’ll get that.

“It should be a great occasion and I’m really looking forward to it.”

THE MANAGER’S CELTIC TV INTERVIEW

Strength of the squad
Preaparation for the Glasgow Derby
Impact of Callum McGregor
Importance of the Celtic supporters

Celtic TV subscribers can watch the full and exclusive interview with Brendan Rodgers.

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Celtic TV Exclusive: Brendan Rodgers looks ahead to Saturday’s Glasgow derby