Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers praises SPFL for reintroducing winter break

CELTIC  boss Brendan Rodgers has praised the Scottish Professional Football League for reintroducing the winter break this season.

The Hoops completed a nine-game December with a Ladbrokes Premiership win over rivals Rangers at Ibrox on Hogmanay, then took advantage of the two-weeks afforded to the top-flight clubs in January to fly out to Dubai for some training in the sun.

After returning earlier in the week in good fettle and ahead of the William Hill Scottish Cup fourth-round tie against Albion Rovers at Airdrie’s ground on Sunday, the former Swansea City and Liverpool manager pointed out the benefits of the break and hoped it would become a regular feature.

He said: “My first point of call is to say well done to the governing bodies of Scotland.

“I have obviously worked in England a lot of my days and down there coaches and managers are crying out for a winter break and this is my first experience of it up here and they should be applauded for it.

“Firstly your supporters benefit from it. We had the traditions of the Christmas Eve game and the New Year’s Eve game but the game is about supporters and players and if you think of supporters, January is a very tough month, you get paid late.

“We had nine games in December and everyone wants to follow their team.

“And for supporters to have that little respite, not having to worry about taking family to games, is important as well.

“For players, it is vitally important that they get to press the reset button, it might only be 10 days or so because they are obviously working the course of the period and we had the good fortune to go to Dubai to work very hard and get some recovery in the sun and I see the benefits.

“The players are back here training, fresh, revitalised and looking to kick on for the second part of the season.

“Lots of the other teams have been working very hard as well.

“It has been brilliant and hopefully that can remain the case going forward.”