That player was phenomenal tonight! I’ve been scouting him closely, even before this match. I’ll do everything in my power to bring him into our squad.”

Celtic big guns don’t miss as Brendan Rodgers prepares to unleash different weapons on Aberdeen
Hoops couldn’t handle the normal calibre of Celtic starters but Rodgers has a different plan of attack for midweek

Brendan Rodgers admitted it would have been pretty easy for his Celtic side to stick the feet up a tad.

But the Hoops gaffer was thrilled his team still had the appetite for a goal feast.

Rodgers hinted going in he was going to rotate his squad for Hibs – only to send out the big guns

Yet there was no let up as they came from behind to storm to yet another victory as they kept the food down ahead of their big date at Hampden at the end of the month.

Nicolas Kuhn, Adam Idah and Reo Hatate overturned Martin Boyle’s opener to leave the manager beaming.

He said: “Just the mentality of the team. I think a day like today, a beautiful day, if we’d really won the league it would have been so easy, just to turn up and not play with that tempo and intensity.

As I said to the players before, this club is all about building on your past success, not dwelling on it.

“Two weeks ago you were a champion, we have a chance in two weeks’ time to gain another title.

“We need to build on the other two by keeping our rhythm, keeping our mentality to arrive for the Scottish Cup in a really good place.

But the work we did as a team today, that was the difference.

“To be a team of dominance, you need to counter-press the game. Against a team like Hibs who are very, very good, you see it so many times when they defend well, like they’ve done, then they break out.

With speed and pace, and the strikers up front, they can be a real handful. But today, how we pressed the game from the first minute to the end, made me so proud of the team.

“Just that ethic and mentality to win, and then that gave us the platform to play our football.”

The Rodgers team sheet was a surprise though. Probably for third-place chasing Hibs too.

It was a full strength side with Kasper Schmeichel back from injury and all of the other big time stars in place. There could be some tweaks for Pittodrie in midweek – with the sides set to meet again in the Scottish Cup Final.

But, when asked about his shuffle talk going in, Rodgers smiled: “Are you trying to say I was wrong?

“No, it’s just, you’re obviously looking at recovery periods and looking at the Scottish Cup final and trying to work your way back.

Plus, we played a week ago, so no, I didn’t see the need to do that.

“But I’ve already named the team for Aberdeen to the guys, they know the team for Wednesday.

Viljami Sinisalo will play. It was just for Kasper to get the feeling again. He’s been out for a long time, but I think that him being out, the positive is that having the chance to see Vil now and his authority, you see the calmness of him for such a young goalkeeper.

“We’ve really, really gained from that. But with Kasper, I know in football there’s short memories, but not with me.

“He’s been brilliant for me all season, and it’s just nice to get him that feel, see how he reacts with his shoulder over the course of the week, and then we can look at it next week.”

It was a solid day’s work for Celts and another goal for Idah – despite some groans from the crowd at earlier missed chances.

That kind of thing doesn’t go unnoticed by the manager and he said: “Adam’s been fantastic for us in his first (full) season. He’s only going to get better and better.

“I think the thing with Adam is, what probably the crowd and people see is, when we’ve played with strikers like Kyogo and Daizen, they’re so explosive.

They’re so off the mark, the acceleration is incredible. He has power and he has speed also.

“You see his movement to get in, but he’s a different type of striker. His contribution over the course of the season has been so, so important for us.

“Not just domestically, but at the highest level. One striker cannot play all the games that we play, but I’ve been really pleased for him.”

Rodgers was also thrilled to give teenager Sean McArdle a late taste.

He said: “It was to give him that feel. I like him. He’s got decent legs, a nice football brain, he’s got culture when he plays. It gives him a little reward for the good work that he’s done.

“Now he’s got to continue learning and see what comes from it.”