Brendan Rodgers tells Rangers why Celtic are in preferred title position as he roars 'bring it on'

Brendan Rodgers says Celtic have come alive at the business end of the season - after stretching their lead in the title race.

The Hoops gaffer watched his team go four points clear at the top of the Premiership with a 3-0 win over St Mirren. Next up is a Scottish Cup semi-final against Aberdeen at Hampden on Saturday. And Rodgers believes his side are ready to hit top gear when it matters most - with trophies up for grabs.

After goals from Reo Hatate, Kyogo Furuhashi and Adam Idah saw off the Buddies at Parkhead, Rodgers said: “We are where we want to be. It’s in our hands. I really look forward to this period because it’s where Celtic comes alive. There are five games to go with trophies at stake. There’s a Scottish Cup at stake, so bring it on. I’d rather be the team with points in the bag at the top.

“We’re in a really good position and when you know that everything is with you - and you can decide what your destiny is - that’s what you want. That’s why the result at Ibrox last week was huge for us, as well as the performance.

“We had to be tough, bite down on the gum-shield, and see it through in a difficult environment. That bodes well for us. We know we can play our football now, with speed, and we can score goals. We’ve also shown steeliness, which will be important for us in the run-in.”

Rodgers heaped praise on Japanese midfielder Hatate, who looks like he’s back to his best. After a long period out with injury, the 26-year-old is motoring again and his manager hopes he timed his comeback perfectly.

Rodgers said: “Reo will be important for us in the run-in. We’ve tried to build him up and he was outstanding at Ibrox.

“When he went off, we lost a bit in midfield. But he’s had another week’s training and he got