Frank McGarvey scored a 95th minute winner and Davie Provan, to an inimitable soundtrack, made a little bit of history when he netted only the third ever free-kick in a Scottish Cup final. Back in '85 Brendan Rodgers was little more than another Hoops kid enjoying the victory from afar with friends and family.

A 12-year-old back then, it is that moment, the 100th Scottish Cup final, that comes to mind now whenever Hampden crops into conversation with the Celtic manager. Rodgers has never set foot in the national stadium but it remains entrenched in some of his most vivid boyhood memories.

“1985, the Scottish Cup final - Celtic 1-0 down and thinking it was all over and then Davie Provan equalising, Frank McGarvey scoring the winner and then going berserk afterwards,” smiled Rodgers when asked what was evoked at the mention of Hampden.

“I watched it as a kid, in the pub - I was allowed in! I was 12 - running in and out to watch. Those days, the memories now are of the sun. They were great games, all those finals and if someone mentions Hampden that’s my memory.

“I am just looking forward to an arena that I grew up listening and hearing about. I am looking forward to going to it. If the pitch is nice and big then it should suit our game and it will be a passionate day I am sure.”

Rodgers will look not to make his own little bit of history as Celtic take on Rangers in the Betfred League Cup final on Sunday afternoon.

A victory would open the pathway to Rodgers winning his first piece of silverware as Celtic manager and the Hoops boss has welcomed the move to revert the final of the competition back to its traditional November placing.

“I think that is a real good idea,” said Rodgers. “It gives the stimulus to players and managers and coaches early on that there is a trophy there that you know can be a great springboard for you for the rest of the season. You are obviously juggling between competitions and looking to prioritise but I think when you are a big club you are looking to prioritise every competition and for us this is the first chance to get a trophy.

“I think the team has made progress and in semi-finals you can play well and still lose, a bit of luck can go against you and something that can happen that can take the victory away from you. But there’s no doubt it’s one of the principal goals that we set for the season in terms of the targets for the players.

“This was the first trophy and it’s a great chance so early in the season to give your side a great confidence boost. We know that until now in the main we have played very, very well. So we will go into the game with confidence but knowing we have a tough game. If we can get through to the final then you have a great chance of winning it and if you can do that then of course it would be a brilliant start.”

Rodgers, meanwhile, has hinted again that it will be unlikely for anyone to watch Leigh Griffiths and Moussa Dembele work together as a front pairing.

Griffiths it itching to get back into the starting line-up and had appealed to Rodgers to consider changing the system to accommodate both players. The Scotland internationalist had claimed that the duo would “run riot” a theory shared by a number of Hoops supporters.

“If it was as simple as that it would be alright, wouldn’t it?” said the Celtic manager. “To play with two players up front you need to have a certain dynamic behind that but you also need certain physical qualities in order to cope with that. But yeah they are both talented players and we will see what the game needs.

“I think it’s one where they would have to play in a certain system in order for it to function. The issue with that is we don’t have certain physical qualities in order for that function to work as I would want it to work. So at times one can play through the middle and one can play off the side but it doesn’t really well for us because they are both natural strikers. If you play a diamond you then need mobility and power in the middle of the field. So it’s not as easy as just putting in the players.”

And Rodgers has also backed Kolo Toure to pick himself up after his midweek display against Borussia Monchengladbach in the UEFA Champions League.

“He’s fine, he’s an experienced guy and you saw the mark of the man when he wanted to go in and speak to the media straight after the game,” said Rodgers. “He held his hand up and that’s the mark of him.

“He could have been in China or the Middle East, making a packet, eating well, not really worrying about the football but he still wanted to stay in Europe and play for a big club. Fair play to him, he has put himself out there knowing fine well something like that could happen. He’s a proper man and you would want him on your side, that’s for sure.”

Toure has a slight knock that may well keep him out of Sunday’s game, but no decision will be made until the latter stage of the weekend.

“He had stiffness in his groin,” explained Rodgers. “We’ll see how he is tomorrow. I gave him a big hug this morning.

“We’ll see, he’s at that age where you have to take it game by game how he feels. If he’s fit or not we’ve got Simunovic who is a top player, coming in now and coming to form and it’s about slowly introducing him again. He has everything, speed and power and footballing qualities so if Kolo didn’t make it, he would be available.”