'One of his last big contracts' - Rodgers on Taylor future

Brendan Rodgers is still hopeful Greg Taylor will extend his Celtic stay, although he knows it is “one of the last big contracts” of the 27-year-old’s career.

The Scotland defender’s deal expires in the summer and he is free to speak to other clubs next month.

“When you want to build the squads, it’s never just about starters, it’s about the whole squad and you want depth,” manager Rodgers said.

“He’s a player that I’ve really enjoyed working with so much on and off the pitch, and I’ve said it before and I’ll repeat, I really want him to to stay.

“I’m hoping that between the club and his representatives that we can organise a deal, but I also understand he’s 27 and this would be one of the last big contracts of his career, so he has to make sure that everything is right.

“What I do know is I really want him to be here. I love working with him. He’s really important for us.”

The Celtic manager flew to Dublin after the League Cup final success to meet with owner Dermot Desmond to discuss the upcoming January window.

“You don’t wait for the future to plan for it,” Rodgers added. “The great aspect of here, we have a board and a major shareholder who are so invested in the club and the success of the club and how they lead the club.

“You only need to look over the last couple of decades, how the club has been run and organised, which is at the very, very highest level of any business.

“There’s also a real passion for the team clearly to do well. That’s so important. Dermot is absolutely entrenched in the whole role as a major shareholder of Celtic, but also as a supporter.

“First thing he does when he gets up in the morning is think about Celtic and last thing at night, he thinks about Celtic.”