I think it was obvious from the first minute that Brendan Rodgers stepped into the Celtic job that he was a man who had done his homework.

And already you can see signs that, although he doesn’t have his feet under the desk just yet, that he is beginning the work to organise the squad ahead of what we all know are incredibly early but crucial qualifying games.

I have to see that I was heartened to hear that one of the first things he looks likely to do is to offer Charlie Mulgrew a new deal at Celtic, while he has been quick to realise that Colin Kazim-Richards move to Celtic simply hasn’t worked out for the lad.

Obviously I think we all expect that there will be a couple of big additions but in addition to that there obviously has to be some sort of clear-out going on as well.

But to me, Charlie brings experience, he brings a versatility and he is a good player. You also have to remember that Celtic, bar a handful of senior players, have a relatively young squad and having a few senior pros in there can only be a benefit, I think.

Anthony Stokes, too, could still end up reporting back for training at the end of this month.

I think we can all appreciate that he didn’t quite see eye to eye with Ronny Deila but a new manager means a clean slate for everyone and when it comes down to it, he has done his chances of another shot at the club no harm at all with that performance in the William Hill Scottish Cup final.

He was head and shoulders above anyone else on the park and on that basis alone, if he does report back to Celtic this month it will be with his confidence pretty high.

He was persona non grata for a while at Celtic Park but the fact is that he still has something to offer and if he can come back with his head in the right place, knowing that he is on a final chance to make it with Celtic then we might see the best of him.

But I also suspect the fact that Brendan Rodgers quite clearly done his research before he arrived at the club is a strong indication of how much he wanted the job. And let’s face it – he just seems to get Celtic. He knows the demands that go with the job, he understands the pressures and the insatiable appetite to deliver success. And it all seems to sit very comfortably with him.

Even aside from the family connection to the club, I still think he will have been blown away by the sheer volume of people who came out to welcome him into the club when he was officially unveiled.

Season ticket sales are through the roof and there is a genuine and palpable optimism about the level of success that he can bring in – and I think that expectation level is justified.

He is the perfect candidate for the job and it is so important that you have that sense of unity at the club.

Having season tickets flying out the door creates a sense of energy and purpose and I think even the early impressions of what Rodgers has done signal an indication of what we can expect as this season unfolds.

However, with the first round of qualifying games coming so early in July it may be a very familiar team that we see take to the field at first. It may be that there are a few weeks of activity before we see some players coming into the club, especially as there is also the European Championships on too.

Joe Lomez has been linked with a move to the club and it is fair to say that the contacts the former Liverpool boss still has down south can be of some benefit to Celtic.

But there has been another few important additions too in the background with Chris Davies and Glen Driscoll coming in.

The Celtic manager obviously feels that bringing in men he knows and trusts and has a long experienced working relationship with is important, but to me I think it is also good news that John Kennedy and Stevie Woods will still form part of that backroom team.

They are two men who have plenty to offer, not least because they also understand the club and what has been going on.