Brendan Rodgers 'very satisfied' to slap down Celtic doubters as boss insists 'I'm not made of wood'

Brendan Rodgers admits he's been satisfied to shut down his and Celtic's critics - as he's had to bite his tongue on numerous occasions this season.

The Hoops boss was officially crowned champion of Scotland this week after a thumping 5-0 win over Kilmarnock in midweek and the Northern Irishman took great pride in securing the trophy. His professional pride aside, the boss was pleased to clamp doubters who earlier this term had suggested he perhaps did not have the "stomach" for the fight.

It's not been all roses for Celts this campaign and they've had to overcome. But for the manager he's been pleased with how it's worked out and that both he and his squad have been able to silence those dissenting voices.

"Listen, I'm not made of wood," he said. "We all have feelings and are all built in different ways. I feel I can deal with pressure in those situations but it still doesn't make you immune to everything. But I think what experience has given me is not to become too emotional with words. And there's been lots of that, I can trace back to August when the headlines were around I'm under massive pressure. This was on the 26th of August.

"So that has continued right the way through. I had to show a mental strength like the team has had to do and eventually the work we do and processes we have in place has come through in the end.

"It's been a challenging season in ways I didn't think it would be. I knew it was gonna be a little bit awkward and a feeling coming back which I get but it's satisfying. I feel very satisfied in the work we've been able to do, it's surprising a little bit that so many people didn't see what was happening around the team, that was the biggest surprise for me.

"Knowing how my team operate and play, how they attack. It's not full out attack, I tend to think of my team as a top boxer, a top boxer isn't throwing punches all the time. Sometimes you've got to have your guard up now and then. And my teams are reflective of that.

"They attack, they're aggressive, they score goals, try to defend well and clearly there was a reason or purpose as to why it wasn't functioning quite the same. It certainly wasn't that I'd lost the hunger or was going through the motions. Or hadn't the stomach for the fight. So it's been very satisfying."