BRENDAN Rodgers reckons more Barclays Premier League clubs should be queuing up to loan their best young talent like Patrick Roberts to Celtic - but he will never take a young English-based starlet when there is a youngster of similar quality in his own academy. With the Ladbrokes Premiership title already in the bag, the Northern Irishman is ready to give youth a chance against St Johnstone this afternoon, with full back Tony Ralston in line for a start in place of the rested Mikael Lustig. But as much as blooding young players is part of his DNA as a coach, he envisages further successful loan deals for future Barclays Premier League stars like Patrick Roberts in the future. Detractors would say that such a strategy only succeeds in developing players for other clubs but the 44-year-old sees it as a way to develop a higher standard of player than you could normally attract and one that could lead to permanent signings in the future.

"There is a huge amount of investment going into academies in England, but the problem is there is nowhere for the players to play," said Rodgers. "You have some of the best young players in world football and they don't get a game. So if you are looking for a loan for one of your young players who, okay, might not get a game right now but could be ready in two or three years' time, where are you going to send them? This is the type of club Celtic is. They are going to be educated in football and life here, train well and go back a better player. This is the environment we have here.

"I don't see it as developing players for other clubs," he added. "I have a duty to bring in the best players. And I see it as an opportunity. I took Gylfi [Sigurdsson] and put him in the team when I was manager at Reading. He got a £10m move on the back of that to Hoffenheim. I went in at Swansea and he wasn't enjoying his time there. So I took him in on a loan at Swansea and got him back enjoying his football. I then went to Liverpool, he went to Tottenham, and it didn't work out. So where does he want to go after? He goes back to Swansea. So you never know what can lead from it.

"But I will never take a boy if he is close to another boy that we have here already. The first look is within, always. The academy, what we have got here. But my priority is to get the best team on the field."

On that subject, Rodgers sees plenty of talent in the youth academy he has at Parkhead. It is just a matter of timing now, and being determined that any young players at the club will have to earn their first team chance. There is already clamour, for instance, to introduce Jack Aitchison, the17-year-old who is away playing with Scotland's Under-17 team, but Rodgers feels that only the most special talents can cut it at first team level at that age.

"Some of the young boys will get involved at the weekend," said Rodgers. "But there is nothing free in this game. There can't be. That is part of what I see in youth development nowadays. Years ago, you earned it. You had to earn the chance to get in. You shouldn't just be given it. But I love doing it.

"I go back to my first job at Watford and my first signing was an 18-year-old midfield player who I took on-loan and is now captain of Leeds, Liam Bridcutt," he added. "At Swansea I put Joe Allen in and put Steven Caulker into the team when he was 19. At Liverpool we had Raheem [Sterling] at 17 and other young players but it is just timing and they have to have the quality.

"There are a number of young players here and when we get the right moment they will get the opportunity to play. This season it has been difficult of course because of the level the [first team] players have been playing at.

"It is a heavy shirt, the Celtic shirt, and you have to be ready to wear it. A lot of players can't cope with it. At another club there is 10 things to think about. At Celtic there is 20. You have to prepare them for that. It is not just a case of throwing them in and then chucking them to the garbage. Stay calm, let them learn their trade. They might need to get experience outside of here to get experience in here."

As for what happens with Roberts this summer, Rodgers feels it would do him no harm to continue in Scotland and would definitely make the deal happen if he became available on a permanent transfer. "It is a possibility," said the Northern Irishman. "I would definitely take him, there is no question about that. Like I say, it is about his career path. He is 19 and you would want that to continue. It certainly wouldn't harm Pat to come here for the next two or three years, and just continue that development."