Rodgers in Ralston Celtic role pledge as manager says he won't let Scotland down

Anthony Ralston would be a great option for Scotland on the right-hand side even if Aaron Hickey and Nathan Patterson weren’t injured, according to Brendan Rodgers, with the Celtic manager saying he will feature more for his side next season.

Rodgers was full of praise for the 25-year-old after his call-up to Steve Clarke’s squad this week for the European Championships, lauding his ability and his professionalism despite playing second fiddle to Alistair Johnston in the Celtic right-back position for most of the season.

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And just as Clarke can trust that Ralston won’t let his country down in Germany, Rodgers says he will be trusting him with a bigger role in his own team in the future.

“He will feature more for me next season,” Rodgers said.

“Part of this season was that Ali was the first choice. Tony came in and played some games and Ali had been out for a while, and when he came back, I needed to get him games to get him up to speed.

“That meant Tony hasn’t played so much. But I know he is always ready because if he is not playing in games, his training is the game. So, he trains every day and his standard, his quality, his mentality is like that of a game.

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“That’s why I can put him in against St Mirren in the last game of the season and he is running up in the 90th minute making a cross to score the winning goal. Why? Because he trains himself.

“He is a wonderful example of someone who treats his training like it’s a game so that when he comes in, he is game ready.

‘I know Scotland have a couple of injuries, but even with those players available, Tony is a great option for them and has played at the highest level in Champions League games.

“He is a winner, he has that mentality, and he would never let Scotland down ever.”