Rodgers won't comment on Vardy link and stresses need for 'constant improvement'

The Celtic boss is focused on taking the players he has through to the Champions League.

Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers won’t comment on Jamie Vardy links and stresses need to improve squad for Champions LeagueSNS Group

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers refused to comment on reports linking his former Leicester striker Jamie Vardy with a move to Glasgow but said that signings were needed to sustain or improve on the team’s European form.

The Premiership champions had a season to remember in the new-look Champions League last time out, progressing from the League Phase and only narrowly losing to German giants Bayern Munich in the first knockout stage.

Now, Rodgers is preparing his team for Wednesday’s play-off first leg against Kairat Almaty, hoping to deliver a result that puts the club on the verge of reaching the elite competition once again.

The manager has spent the summer being questioned about the club’s transfer activity, with many supporters underwhelmed by the club’s signings so far being largely centred on players to develop instead of ready replacements or upgrades on the likes of Kyogo Furuhashi and Nicholas Kuhn, who have been sold this year.

One player who has been linked in recent days is former Leicester City striker and England forward Jamie Vardy. The veteran goalscorer is a free agent after leaving the King Power Stadium early in the summer and is reportedly keen on being reunited with Rodgers.

The Celtic boss wouldn’t be drawn on the reports.

“Listen, I would not speak about any individual player,” Rodgers said.

“Of course I worked really well with Jamie, he was brilliant for me in my time at Leicester. But there’s been so many names floated about. I wouldn’t disclose either way.”

Celtic can add two new signings up to 24 hours before the first leg against Kairat Almaty but with just hours to go, Rodgers said he was preparing to go with the players he has. He said the current squad is doing well and improving but made it clear that new faces have to come in to improve the team in games at the highest level.

“I think that we gave a hint last season of what we can do when we improved the squad last year and went into the Champions League in a really good way.

“We felt we showed what we can do at that level and for me the job is to try to develop and at minimum sustain that.

“For that you need that constant improvement of your squad.

“But currently where this group’s at with what we have, the players are doing very, very well. They’re really focused and the training has been so good, been really intense and that’s allowed us to keep improving.

“So we don’t want to overthink this game. We know the magnitude of it. We know the consequence of it, however, it’ll only look good for us if we play to the level that we want to play and that’s what we’re focused on.”

Asked if he thought there was an element of waiting to see if the club reached the League Phase before knowing how heavily investment would be made in the squad, he said: “I don’t know.

“We just play the game and we’ll see how we are at the end of the window.”

While talk circulates about Celtic’s transfer business, the players face an important task over two legs. Rodgers says they have to ignore speculation, shut out the noise and focus on the task at hand.

“It is a difficult part of the season, however the money will be in your bank every month and it’ll be from Celtic,” he said. “Whilst it is, you need to perform.

“So you don’t need to worry about anything else.

“I respect and acknowledge that it’s it can be tough, especially if it’s ‘Are you going to be here or are you not?’

“But Celtic pay your wages and while they do you focus on doing the very best you can for Celtic. We start that process every day and train be the very best that we can, pushing each other and demanding and then we’ll take that into the games.”

“And in fairness to the players have been brilliant with that.

“You know, you see it in their attitude in the game, the energy in the games been very, very good.

“So now we have to keep this going.”

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