Brendan Rodgers says Celtic have improved from 12 months ago

BRENDAN RODGERS claimed his Celtic side to be in a much better place than a year ago following their 4-0 Champions League qualifying victory over Linfield on Wednesday night.

A double from Scott Sinclair and goals from Tom Rogic and substitute Stuart Armstrong gave the Scottish champions a 6-0 aggregate win against the Northern Irish part-timers and set up a third qualifier against Norwegian side Rosenborg.

Around 12 months ago Rodgers began his tenure as Hoops boss with a shock 1-0 defeat to Lincoln Red Imps.

Celtic recovered from the embarrassment in Gibraltar to win the tie 3-1 on aggregate and qualify for the Champions League group stages but Rodgers believes his treble-winning squad are in a much better place at the start of this campaign.

Champions League: Celtic set to face Rosenborg in next qualifying round after thrashing Linfield

The Northern Irishman said: “Some of our football at this stage of the season was very good.

“The fitness of the players will have gained another extra notch forward.

“Our only real disappointment was we didn’t score more in the first half. We were a bit wasteful but that happens at this stage of the season.

“Our intensity wore them down in the end so I’m very pleased.

“Tactically we’re very good, physically we’re still building up. But the team and the whole shape, how they’re working, playing and running, we are 100 per cent in a different place to this time last season.”

New signing Olivier Ntcham made his competitive bow for Celtic following his move from Manchester City last week, having featured in Saturday’s friendly against Lyon.

Kundai Benyu, who joined the club from Ipswich, also made his competitive debut as a second-half substitute and Rodgers was pleased with both players’ contributions.

He said: “Olivier came in and we wanted to get him game-time as he has only been in a week and a half.

“He got his first hour at the weekend and just over an hour tonight.

“You can see his qualities, and once he gets up to speed and gets those relationships with the players he plays with, he’s going to be a great asset for us with his power and his passing ability.

“Young Beni is full of enthusiasm. He is bright and deliberate in his play and he wants to get forward and get in the box. It was just to give him a feel for playing at Celtic Park.”

Linfield boss David Healy, a former Rangers striker, had no complaints about the scoreline.

“Celtic are a quality side, we knew that,” he said.

“They had a right go (in the second half), they came out 100 miles per hour and I think 4-0 was probably fair.”