Brendan Rodgers built his own rock of Gibraltar at Celtic

With planes landing and taking off from the runway at the end of one of the goals, the defeat to Lincoln Red Imps in Brendan Rodgers’ inaugural night in the Celtic dugout goes down as one of the surreal moment’s in the Parkhead story this season.

On Saturday afternoon as Tom Rogic netted the winning goal at Hampden, Rodgers might have been the quietest man in the stadium. The 44-year-old turned his back to the fray, clasped his hands together and beamed quietly towards family in the depths of the stands.

Read more: Stuart Armstrong the quiet man pulling the strings as Celtic claim historic Treble

The Irishman has built his own rock of Gibraltar this season. Infrangible, invincible, whatever way you want to call it, no-one has scaled the frontier that Rodgers has built at Celtic, an achievement perhaps most notable for the fact that of the players who have made such an impact this season, Rodgers brought only two of them to the club.

Nine out of the 11 who have performed were players simply going through the motions this time a year ago.

The sheer fragility of that squad, the inability to cope with any kind of adversity during the course of a game was evident on game day one. Where they have come from to where they are now - coming from behind to win the Scottish Cup final to win a Treble- suggests a steeliness of resolve as much as of a physical presence.

The 50th anniversary celebrations of the Lisbon Lions, an achievement rightly lauded by the club and for the uniqueness of its story, has offered a compelling narrative alongside the journey of Celtic’s season under Rodgers.

Unveiled in front of 13,000 supporters, Rodgers promised fast, aggressive, creative football, football in keeping with the Jock Stein philosophy. He did not disappoint.

There will be detractors who point to a league far weaker than it was 17 years ago when Celtic last won a Treble, an argument that won’t meet much disagreement. However, it ought not to take away from the consistency on offer this season, from a ruthlessness, an energy and a hunger, ingredients brought to the mix by Rodgers.

Read more: Stuart Armstrong the quiet man pulling the strings as Celtic claim historic Treble

One could spent a day discussing the improvements made in individual players, but perhaps most striking is the way in which there has been a redistribution of responsibility where the goals have been concerned.

Last year Leigh Griffiths was top scorer with 40 goals – Tom Rogic was the only other Celtic player close to him with 10.

This term there are six players who have made it into double figures – Rogic got 12, a tally that would surely have been more given the fact he missed near on five months of the season, Griffiths managed 18 despite featuring sporadically for much of the campaign, while Moussa Dembele bagged 32 before his season was ended prematurely. Stuart Armstrong netted a credible 17, Scott Sinclair 25, Patrick Roberts 11.

But if Rodgers would not let his team take a breather when the league had been won, he is unlikely to feel anything other than a need now to build on the foundations which have been set this term.

This summer, the Celtic manager’s biggest challenge might lie in ensuring he starts the season with the same squad who finished it.

Moussa Dembele is on Chelsea’s radar, while Kieran Tierney has been seriously scouted by both Liverpool and Arsenal. Stuart Armstrong has yet to commit to a new deal, although the midfielder still has another year remaining on his current deal.

There is money available to Rodgers this summer as he looks to strengthen and it is a nod to Europe that comes next now on the 44-year-old radar.

Read more: Stuart Armstrong the quiet man pulling the strings as Celtic claim historic Treble

This season’s success was in leading Celtic back into the group stages of the Champions League after a three-year absence, but this time around there will be an attempt to make some kind of impact on the tournament.

In many ways, Celtic’s ideal scenario lies in finishing third and being parachuted into the Europa League, a tournament that dangles the tantalising prospect of making inroads into.

Ten-in-a-row will be the chat on the terraces and on the evidence of this season it is difficult to see who will stop Celtic.

But the real kudos will be reaped in what Celtic can do against those on a European field. The Champions League, Europe’s premier competition, is an opportunity to enrichen the season in more ways than one.

The financial gains from the tournament are breath-taking – Celtic banked between £25m to £30m this season for their participation – but spending Christmas in the Europa league would open the door to an intriguing possibility.

For now, though, there is the briefest of time to savour the season before it all comes again.