Brendan Rodgers explains what leading Celtic to the Champions League would mean to him

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The Hoops are on the verge of a return to Europe’s top table.

New Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers during the press conference

Brendan Rodgers has shed light on what guiding Celtic into the Champions League would mean to him, in quotes published by the club’s official site.

The Hoops are 90 minutes away from a return to the group stages and Rodgers has admitted getting there is his primary focus since he arrived.

“It has been our No.1 objective from the first day we started,” he said on qualifying for the group stages. “We spoke about it as a team and a squad. We looked at various goals and targets throughout the season and to make the Champions League was clearly one of those as it was one of the first that would come across us.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers

“So to lead Celtic into the Champions League would be a great honour and privilege. I know the managers before me I spoke to said their first qualifying campaign was difficult for them but for us we have put in an awful lot of work and we have two hands on the prize and a tight grip on it as well.”

Celtic face Hapoel Be’er Sheva in the second leg Play-off fixture tonight after an excellent showing at Parkhead last week put them firmly in the driving seat.

Rodgers’ men romped into a three-goal lead courtesy of two Leigh Griffiths strikes and one from Tom Rogic before the Israeli side pulled two back to set up a nervous finish.

Celtic’s Tomas Rogic celebrates scoring their first goal with Leigh Griffiths and Scott Brown

Two late goals from Moussa Dembele and Scott Brown put Celtic firmly back in charge however, and they will be confident the 5-2 victory will see them through.

Hapoel’s two away goals are a slight cause for concern but the Hoops will be confident of scoring themselves, especially against a team who have no choice but to throw caution to the wind.

Celtic’s Scott Sinclair in action with Hapoel Be’er-Sheva’s Ben Bitton

The likes of Rogic, Griffiths and James Forrest have all hit top form and with new signings Kolo Toure, Scott Sinclair and Moussa Dembele finding their feet, Celtic look well placed for an assault on Europe’s premier competition.