BRENDAN RODGERS insists defeating Bayern Munich tonight would not define his Celtic tenure as he aims to make a lasting mark on the Champions League.
Historic nights at Celtic Park against Barcelona, AC Milan, Manchester United and Barcelona are memories that will be seared into the mind and soul of every Celtic fan, marquee moments to light up seasons and legacies.
Rodgers is attempting to mastermind another momentous result to put him up there with the likes of Martin O’Neill, Gordon Strachan and Neil Lennon, but the current man at the helm at Parkhead says he wants his legacy to be built on sustained progress at Europe’s top table.
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“I don’t need it,” he said.
“I think we all want it. We would love to have that. But I have an inherent belief in what we do and hopefully we have seen in 17 months what that can do for us as a club and as a team.
“At this level of course it is remarkably difficult to do that, but we must keep working towards that. That is the next step for us.
“It would be a great result and it gives you confidence but you have to do more than that, surely. It is good to get a result and good if you can perform well and it is brilliant for the supporters, but you can’t become complacent enough to think that it does you for two or three years.
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“You have the next game and the game after that and it doesn’t guarantee you anything. You need it to do well but it does not guarantee you anything going forward. Two or three years . . . two or three games. No chance. You just want to validate how you are working, get a result, then it is brilliant for everyone, but you can never think that is it.”
Rodgers said a year ago he wanted to take Celtic into the last 16 of the Champions League within three years, and he is sure progress is being made ahead of the Group B tie tonight.
“Yes. Huge,” he said.
“Absolutely. Just in the idea of how they play. The Manchester City game was a great game for us in terms of that real belief in our pressing game at the very top level but it has to be an organised, educated pressure.”
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