Joe Hart has paid tribute to former boss Brendan Rodgers for the way he has managed his second spell at Celtic.

The Northern Irishman returned to Parkhead last summer with the tough task of replacing the popular Ange Postecoglu ahead of his move to Spurs.

Rodgers’ return was heavily questioned by a section of fans who hadn’t forgiven him for leaving the club in 2019, but the double treble-winning manager has certainly won back the supporters’ favour after leading the Hoops to a league and Scottish Cup double last season.

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Speaking on BBC after Celtic's 5-1 demolition of Slovan Bratislava in their Champions League curtain-raiser last night, former Hoops keeper Joe Hart has admitted to being unsure about Rodgers when he first came back to the club. The 37-year-old said: “When Brendan Rodgers came in there was a few murmurs - it was his second tenure with the club - and Ange Postecoglou had really laid his stamp down.

"We have seen that down at Tottenham and that wasn't lost on the Celtic faithful. They played some incredible football under him and Brendan came in and it was a tough role to take over.

“You know what I love about him? He just took his time. He kind of understood that we had been well-drilled under the Ange Postecoglou regime and people had certain triggers that you can't just erase. So, he slowly worked away, and I personally wasn't quite sure if he was going to put his stamp on this.

“And with three, four months to go Brendan stepped up and let everyone know what it meant to be a Celtic player. All of a sudden, the tweaks and little changes he made complemented the style so well and he really put his spin on it. But with a pre-season and way they have started the season, favourable draw in the Champions League and a night like this - things are just going to get better."