Mikael Lustig has admitted that Saturday’s William Hill Scottish Cup triumph was the most emotional afternoon of his career.

The Swedish defender was in tears at the final whistle as he celebrated on the pitch and he believes that it was the realisation of the magnitude of the achievement that overwhelmed him.

“We weren’t so focused on the Treble, or on going through the season unbeaten but of course it is always there,” he said. “As a dressing room we didn’t talk about, we didn’t focus on anything other than game by game but in the last few weeks of the season we could sense that we had the chance to achieve something very special.Glasgow Times:

“The last minute goal, the whole celebrations and just the feeling of knowing that we had achieved something so big at such a special club just felt really emotional for me.

“Having come to this club and learned about players in the past who did big things, it just felt amazing to know that we had written our own chapter this season. It felt like a privilege to be part of it.”

And Lustig believes that Brendan Rodgers will continue to get the best out of the Celtic squad again next season.

The 44-year-old has had an impeccable inaugural campaign at the club but Lustig is well aware that he will want to set the bar even higher again next season.

In a domestic sense it will be impossible to top this year but it is in a European context where the club will next look to make an impact.

“We can get a rest now, take a moment or two just to enjoy what we have done this season and I think that is important,” said Lustig. “But we will come back hungry and ready to go again.

“In some sense the qualifiers are just as important as these games because they can open the door to Champions League football again.

“We all want to play there again. We feel as though maybe we could have done a little bit better in the Champions League but we will be stronger for having had that experience.

“The manager has been brilliant for all of us. I feel that I have improved this season, I understand exactly what he wants me to do and hopefully we can keep on improving.

“How far can we go? Only time will tell but with this team you can always be sure that we won’t leave anything on the pitch.

“We have give our all this season in every game and I think that is what the key has been. We haven’t eased off no matter who we were playing.

“Whether we were playing Barcelona in the Champions League or playing Hamilton or anyone else, we were at it with the same focus and the same desire to win.”