Baffled Brendan Rodgers in loaded Celtic smirk as Matt O'Riley curveball lands 2 point slapdown

Bewildered Brendan Rodgers has brushed off any chatter over Celtic star Matt O'Riley leaving the club in the summer.

Instead, he has shifted focus to the Scottish Premiership title run-in - with the Hoops holding a chance to leapfrog Rangers and reach the summit with a win over St Johnstone on Saturday. With Philippe Clement's side playing Dundee on Sunday following their Europa League exploits in midweek, Rodgers was keen to pile the pressure on their rivals in the race to claim the silverware.

However, the Irishman was caught on the hop during his pre-match press conference as he was put on the spot about the long-term future of O'Riley. The 23-year-old has been a standout performer in Glasgow's east end so far this term - with his form earning him his first senior Denmark cap and a shot at being called up for Euro 2024. Asked initially about the potential template that O'Riley's progression and latest Denmark call-up could be for future Celtic recruits, Rodgers responded: "I think for every player if you have that personality and desire to learn this is a brilliant place to come.

"You are coming to a genuinely massive club with an opportunity to become a winner. Especially if you are young player and you are to move on, if you can do it at Celtic you can virtually do it anywhere. So Matt this year has been fantastic for us."

The Irishman was then pressed on if he had spoken to O'Riley about the prospect of interest in the summer - following the likes of Atletico Madrid, Inter and Girona being linked with a move in the January window. Rodgers simply shook his head.

Asked if he was comfortable with the situation, Rodgers went on: 'Yeah, listen I speak with the players." He then smirked: "I don't need to address