Celtic

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"Driven" Viljami Sinisalo is content "trying to prove" he can play for Celtic and is not allowing himself to think about what happens when number one Kasper Schmeichel returns to fitness.

The 23-year-old has started the past six matches for Brendan Rodgers' side since his 38-year-old team-mate - who Sinisalo said "cannot be replaced" - suffered a shoulder injury on international duty with Denmark in late March.

Asked if he felt he had given manager Rodgers a decision to make with his performances since stepping into the team, the Finn said: "That's a tough question. Kasper's been brilliant for us for the whole season, he's been amazing.

"What he brings to the squad, what he brings to the changing room, you can't replace that. He's a big voice, he's a leader.

"If I stay in the team, if Kasper gets in the team, that's the manager's decision. I'm just trying to prove I can play for this football club every day in training and in games like [Sunday's derby with Rangers]."

Schmeichel is battling to get back in time for the Scottish Cup final against Aberdeen on 24 May, though Rodgers said after Sunday's 1-1 draw away to Rangers that Sinisalo had shown he "has the authority to play for Celtic".

"To hear someone say that is great, obviously, but I want to get better," the keeper added. "Every game is an opportunity to get better and I'm very much driven in that.

"I want to just try and showcase my ability to the people that probably haven't seen me as much."

Jonathan Sutherland
Sportscene presenter

Champions Celtic failed to get the better of rivals Rangers in the final derby of the season, but they ensured they didn't suffer a third straight defeat in the fixture.

Crucial to that was Cameron Carter-Vickers.

The United States international was Celtic's best performer in defence and was always there when the big interventions were required.

We asked for your views on Celtic's derby draw at Rangers.

Here's what some of you said:

Paul: Celtic should've won this game, several decisive opportunities spurned, although Rangers had a few chances themselves. The jury is still out on Adam Idah, he still has a lot improve on to appease the Celtic support but his goal was well taken. The draw wasn't a fair result in the end though.

Ray: Pretty flat with two poor teams on the day. Celtic seriously need a partner for Cameron Carter-Vickers and midfield and wide players were easily snuffed out once again. Don't seem to learn that Rangers know how to stop Celtic playing. Bit of a damp squib.

Andrew: Liam Scales has cost us too many times in big games. Idah has the attributes but needs to work harder. Need a better centre-back and centre-forward than them for next season for a start. Sinisalo looked steady for the little that was thrown at him. The game was there for the taking but too often we got in good positions and the ball came back towards our own goal. So while avoiding defeat at Ibrox is never a bad thing, it feels like an opportunity missed with having the balance of play.

Liam: If Brendan Rodgers or any fans are going to lay their hat on Idah being our main number nine next season, we will regress. He was poor for most of the game. His lack of football intelligence is baffling when you compare to what has gone before. Scales and Reo Hatate also continue to fail to consistently hit the heights we need. I expect a few changes in the summer and they are needed to try and improve this group. A number nine is first, a centre-mid, winger and centre-back.

Shaun: I still think Idah isn't good enough, he hasn't shown the hunger and determination to be good enough and his body language is a sure sign he isn't good enough. There are a few players who need to leave like Kasper Schmeichel, Auston Trusty, Scales, Luke McCowan and Arne Engels. Sinisalo was outstanding and should be number one. There are too many bit-part players at the club who need to go and it will free up a lot of wages to bring in a better calibre of player.

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• Rangers have failed to win in their last four games in the Premiership, their last joint longest winless streak was from 1 February 2017 to 24 February 2017.

• Celtic have scored in 32 of their 35 games, more often than any other team in the Scottish Premiership.

• Daizen Maeda has contributed to goals in his last three games in the Premiership (one goal, three assists).

• Maeda has also now assisted 10 goals in the Premiership this season (one in this game), more than any other player.

• Cyriel Dessers has scored 14 goals in the Premiership this season (one in this game), more than any other Rangers player.

• Mohammed Diomande has assisted seven goals in the Premiership this season (one in this game), no Rangers player has more.

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Daizen Maeda is determined to maintain the stellar level that has rewarded the Celtic striker with PFA Scotland's player of the year prize.

The Japan forward has scored 33 goals and provided 12 assists in an excellent season for the Scottish Premiership champions, who will secure another domestic treble if they beat Aberdeen in this month's Scottish Cup final.

It is the ninth time in 11 years that a Celtic player has taken home the award, with Maeda beating team-mates Callum McGregor and Nicolas Kuhn, as well as Dundee forward Simon Murray, in the votes cast from players across the SPFL divisions.

"Everything I've built up to this season has paid off," said the 27-year-old, who also claimed his club's player of the year prize, said.

"I'm doing the best for the team I play for, that's motivation for me to keep working hard and continue what I've been doing."

Celtic came from behind to deny Rangers a third straight victory over their rivals as Adam Idah's second-half strike frustrated Barry Ferguson's home side in the Scottish Premiership.

Nicolas Raskin had an early header ruled out for offside before Cyriel Dessers netted his 25th goal of the season for Rangers just before half-time, only for Republic of Ireland international Idah to pounce and level.

For Scottish champions Celtic, the point allows them to retain their 17-point margin over the second-top Ibrox side as they close out another successful league campaign unscathed.

What did you make of that, Celtic fans? Was a draw the right result? Did anyone impress you?

Let us know your thoughts here.

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Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers thought his side's "performance level was a good one" in the draw at Ibrox.

"Rangers changed their structure, we were playing against a diamond, so once we figured that out, we had lots of moments where we played through that pressure well," he told BBC Scotland.

"There weren't too many chances either side. We had to be strong in some set-piece moments in the first half. At half-time, I still felt we were at a good place in the game.

"Second half, we controlled the game. When you come to Ibrox, you sometimes have 10-15 minutes where you're under real pressure, backs to the wall, but I never really felt that.

"If I was to criticise, maybe our final third play didn't lend us to creating opportunities. But our build-up was composed. We got the goal, we deserved it."

On goalscorer Adam Idah, Rodgers added: "Adam doesn't get criticism from us, we know his qualities. This is his first full season here, he's only going to get better.

"He's a player for the big moments. He scores big goals, in big games. He will get better all the time.

"People are judging him on his price tag, but he doesn't set that. He's a real handful for us and has shown that at every level, he gets goals."

Martin Dowden
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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With a fourth successive Scottish Premiership title in the bag, this mattered little to Celtic. Except it did. They all do against Rangers.

Having lost their last two league fixtures against the Ibrox side, losing three goals in each of the last three meetings, there was no chance this would be taken lightly.

Manager Brendan Rodgers pointed to starting well and being more alert at set pieces. Both were missing and they were fortunate more than once not to concede.

However, they responded well and took a grip of matters at times, albeit their opponents had better chances, particularly in the first-half.

That they managed to come from behind is a reminder of their character and self-belief. Not at their best again, but in this environment, and circumstance, they will surely be satisfied.

It is also a big moment for Adam Idah. His goal return has been reasonable given his minutes on the pitch, but it is another big one against Rangers that will boost the perception of his overall contribution.

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Liam Scales believes criticism of Celtic and Republic of Ireland team-mate Adam Idah is harsh and the defender backs the striker to shine against Rangers on Sunday. (Sun), external

Scales, 26, enjoys fishing in Scotland as it is "good for keeping your mind clear". (Record), external

James Forrest, 33, plays down the notion that he will take a penalty should Celtic be awarded one before the end of the season to maintain his streak of scoring in successive seasons dating back to the 2009-10 campaign. (Glasgow Times), external

Read Sunday's Scottish gossip

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Rangers defender Leon Balogun has trained with a mask after a minor operation on a cracked cheekbone. Ridvan Yilmaz and Dujon Sterling (Achilles) are out for the season while Tom Lawrence remains out. Neraysho Kasanwirjo has recovered from a knee problem and played in the Glasgow Cup final against Celtic during the week.

Celtic have lost Jota to a serious knee injury and Dane Murray is also out for the season with a knee problem. Alistair Johnston (hip) also drops out but Yang Hyun-jun could return and Daizen Maeda and Nicolas Kuhn are expected to shake off knocks. Kasper Schmeichel (shoulder) is still out.

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Celtic could face competition for Brondby striker Mathias Kvistgaarden, 23, from Frankfurt. (Glasgow Times), external

Read Saturday's Scottish gossip

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Brendan Rodgers insists Celtic are playing for "pride" against Rangers on Sunday, having lost the two previous meetings between the sides.

With the league already won, the League Cup in the bag and a Scottish Cup final to look forward to, Rodgers wants his side to end the season on a high.

"This is a game that is all about pride," the Northern Irishman said.

"And we've proved our point over the course of this season in terms of our performance level, consistency. I think the challenge in these games is that we've been so comfortable going into the games, and I felt that has really disrupted our mindset. When it was win or bust in the cup final, we won it, because that's it.

"These games we've been so comfortable, and even though you're pushing, I know what these games mean to supporters and what it means to myself and the club, there just can be that little bit in the back of the mind that you're 13 points clear or 16 points clear.

"And so that has taken a fraction of an edge off that you don't want, but there's maybe a subconscious thing there.

"But this here, this is our last game. We are fighting for the pride of our team and also for our supporters, because we lost the last game at Ibrox, deservedly so.

"We shouldn't have lost the game at home, but we did, and we have to make that right in the last game.

"I hear the talk up here about meaningless games. There's never that. A Celtic-Rangers game, there's never a meaningless game or there's nothing in the game. There's everything in this game, everything.

"So, we have to go and prove that on the field. Yes, we are champions with the best team, the most consistent team, with the mentality, Champions League progression, all of this here. But these are important games."

Charlotte Cohen
BBC Sport Scotland

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Brendan Rodgers has been speaking to the media as his side prepare for Sunday's derby against Rangers.

Here are the main points:

• Jota will be sidelined for "six to nine months" after suffering an ACL injury in last weekend's victory at Tannadice.

• Alistair Johnston won't feature at Ibrox, Rodgers confirms he's being managed ahead of the cup final later this month, meanwhile Daizen Maeda, Nicolas Kuhn should be available and Hyunjun Yang is back in the squad.

• On the potential for Rangers to give Celtic a guard of honour at Ibrox, Rodgers says "it's not in the rules to do it" but thinks it's a "mark of respect" to the champions. However the Celtic boss says he understands "if you come up short quite a lot it can be a challenge for you and to justify that to your supporters".

• With the league already won, Rodgers insists his side are "playing for pride" against their Glasgow rivals having lost the last meeting between the sides at Ibrox.

• When asks if he expects a great challenge from Rangers next season, Rodgers says "talk to me in the summer" and was keen to stress how good his Celtic side have been this campaign.

• On the potential for Adam Idah to lead the line on Sunday, Rodgers says everyone has been judging the former Norwich striker on his price tag but insists his "actual ratio" of minutes played to goals scored is "actually very good.

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• Rangers have won their past two league games against Celtic, last winning three in a row over their rivals in January 2021. The Ibrox side had won just one of their previous 12 against the Hoops (D3 L8) prior to their last two successive wins.

• After their 3-0 defeat in January, Celtic could lose two away league games against Rangers in a season for the first time since 2020-21, which was the last season they failed to win the Scottish Premiership.

• The side scoring first has only lost one of their past 26 league Old Firm derbies (W21 D4), with that a 2-1 defeat for Rangers at home in April 2022. In the past five league matches between the two clubs, the opener has been scored within the opening seven minutes.

• Rangers have conceded at least two goals in each of their past eight league games (17 goals conceded overall). The last Scottish top-flight side to concede 2+ goals more times in a row were Gretna from February to April 2008 (10).

• Celtic have a goal difference of +80 in this season's Scottish Premiership (102 scored, 22 conceded). In their league history, only in 1915-16 (+93), 1935-36 (+82), 1967-68 (+92), and 2016-17 (+81) have they ever had a better difference between goals scored and conceded at the end of a campaign.

• After guiding them to a 3-2 win in March, Barry Ferguson could become the first Rangers manager to win both of his first two league meetings with Celtic.

• Daizen Maeda has scored in three of Celtic's four meetings with Rangers in all competitions this season; he had only scored in two of his first 15 Old Firm derby appearances before this. Maeda has 33 goals and 10 assists in 47 games for Celtic in all competitions in 2024-25 overall.

• Each of Rangers' last 10 league goals against Celtic have been scored by different players: Tavernier, Sima, Matondo, Dessers, Hagi, Propper, Danilo, Raskin, Diomande, and Igamane.

Liverpool and Arsenal are among a host of Premier League clubs showing interest in Celtic forward Daizen Maeda and the 27-year-old Japan international might be available for around £25m this summer. (The Boot Room), external

Stephen Welsh expects to return to Celtic a better player after the 25-year-old centre-back's loan spell with Belgian side Mechelen. (Daily Record), external

Celtic are to release goalkeeper Joe Morrison, defender Alasdair Davidson and striker Lewis Dobbie from their youth squad in the summer. (Daily Record), external

Celtic received £874,000 from European governing body Uefa for players called up to international duty, the largest payout in Scotland, almost double Rangers' £438,000. (Football Insider), external

Read the rest of Friday's Scottish gossip.

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Callum McGregor was delighted to see Celtic team-mates act like "tourists" by filming fans celebrating the club's fourth successive title triumph.

Brendan Rodgers' squad returned to a heroes welcome at Celtic Park last Saturday after securing glory with a 5-0 win at Tannadice.

While captain McGregor now has 24 winner's medals with Celtic, some players were celebrating their first and were encouraged to capture every moment of the raucous party.

"Obviously we've been back to the stadium, there's probably 2,500 to 3,000 people there, huge numbers, and you can see the guys that haven't experienced it before, they walk out and, I can't remember who it was that was saying, but just a bit of advice, 'video it'," said McGregor.

"And you've got the boys like tourists all videoing the celebrations. But it's a brilliant keepsake as well because obviously you take it in with your eyes but to have it on video as well and to be able to watch it back shows you when you win the league there's a huge celebraton.

"For the guys that haven't felt it before then instantly it hits them just how important this is and just how important winning the league for Celtic is.

"We are human beings as well, we obviously are on the other side of the touchline and there's huge demand and people think that you're a robot, but we're human beings as well and we have the same problems in life that everyone else has.

"So when we achieve success and we do it together we also want to remember it as well and we want to feel those emotions.

"You dedicate a huge part of your life to play football and to get those moments on the other side, then absolutely, go and video it go and be a tourist, go and be a fan and enjoy it and soak up the moment because it's hugely important as well to do that."