EVERY little helps for Kolo Toure. He is inspiring Sam Wardrop to dream big.

Toure’s influence off the park has been as great as that on it in his first season at Parkhead.

He has helped Brendan Rodgers’ side move to within 90 minutes of a domestic clean sweep this term and become the ideal role model for Celtic’s rising stars.

Boss Rodgers has often spoken about Toure’s influence behind the scenes at Lennoxtown and Parkhead and Under-20 skipper Wardrop has seen the former Arsenal and Liverpool star in action at close hand.

He said: “We were all having lunch in the canteen one day after training when the manager came in and said: ‘Boys, come and have a look at this.’

“As we made our way to the gym, he was telling us how Kolo is a top professional, that to get where he’s been he’s had to put in the work and that – at 35 – he’s still putting in the work.

“When we got there, Kolo was doing all these different stretching exercises and the manager stressed to us that if we want to be top players then that’s what we need to do as well.

“Kolo’s had an unbelievable career so when you see him still putting that extra session in behind closed doors it just highlights to us young players what we need to do if we’re going to achieve what he’s achieved.

“He occasionally comes over and has a look at what we do but he hasn’t taken us for training yet.”

It has been a campaign to remember for Rodgers and his players as they have clinched the League Cup and Premiership and set up a Scottish Cup showdown with Aberdeen.

After the Under-17s lifted the Glasgow Cup last week, Tommy McIntyre’s 20s side now have a chance to get in on the act tonight as they bid for Youth Cup success against Rangers.

And Wardrop is determined to clinch another piece of silverware of the Rodgers era as he looks to lead his side to glory at the National Stadium.

He said: “He’s shown a big interest in us and he’s taken a few of our training sessions.

“He talks to us regularly and, because he’s working so well with the first team, we all have massive respect for him. Everything he says is taken on board.

“It’s been good for us since he took over. I’d say that everyone is working that one per cent harder because we feel that there is a chance we could be called up to the big squad.

“Calvin Miller has already had a look-in this season and so has Jack Aitchison and that’s been an inspiration to us all.”

The lure of a first team big break continues to inspire the next generation but the chance to lift the trophy will be their main motivation at Hampden.

The Hoops beat their Old Firm rivals 5-2 in the final two years ago and Wardrop hopes he will become the latest Parkhead captain to hold aloft the silverware.

He said: “Of course we want this trophy. Myself and the rest of the boys are really looking forward to this game and, hopefully, we can lift it like we did two years ago.

“Connor McManus was the captain on that occasion and it was a great thing for him so I’m hoping to feel the same way he did come Wednesday night.

“We want to emulate what the senior team is doing by winning everything. The league still isn’t over yet and we’re still in the running for that so, if results go our way, we can still do the Double.”

*You can watch all the action from tonight’s Scottish FA Youth Cup Final LIVE at www.scottishfa.co.uk