Brendan Rodgers has insisted that he does not need a challenge from other teams to get the best out of Celtic.

The Celtic manager led the club to only their fourth domestic Treble last season and as he bids to repeat the feat this term, he has insisted that he is not interested in what is coming from other teams.

Rangers manager Pedro Caixinha has re-affirmed his belief that he has the best team in the country but Rodgers' focus is on his own squad.

"I don’t need to worry about that," said Rodgers. "My worry is to make us the best I can.

“It’s all theory. Do your talking on the pitch. There are lots of squads, lots of talk, lots of theorists - lots of things that go around. Time will tell.

“You show your strength on the field. You play your games, you get your points, get your wins and get your performances consistently.

“Our measure is that we want to be the best we can be. We know what it takes to compete in European football. That’s our measure.

“Some people will say we need a strong Rangers, strong Aberdeen, strong Hibs - but that’s no good if you’re not strong.

“We can’t weigh it. Our standard we set ourselves, no-one else helps us set it. That was my approach last year when I came in and it was exactly the same throughout the season.

“For people on the outside looking in, there’s maybe not so much to write about when the gap is 20 points or 39 points. But for us we set our standard."

Asked if stronger opposition and a more competitive league would bring out the best in Celtic in terms of their desire to compete at European level, Rodgers was equally dismissive.

“Not really, no," he said. "So then why is a team from the English Premier League, the most competitive league in the world, not winning the Champions League every year?

“I’m not crying for it. It’s great if it’s there. But it can’t define us. It’s great for the game if you have that, one team a point ahead and helicopter Sunday and all that stuff. But it’s not going to define how I work every day.

“I always try to work at a world class level and that’s the demand for the players. With all due respect, I don’t need to know what Rangers, Aberdeen, Hibs, Hearts or St Johnstone are doing to motivate me.

“I’m not going to have a lazy day because we are winning by 20 points.”

Meanwhile, Rodgers has intimated that he would like Stuart Armstrong's position sorted as quickly as possible.

The Hoops midfielder has been in negotiations with the club over a new deal for more than six months but so far there has been no agreements between the two parties.

"I’m hoping that very soon that can be resolved either way," said Rodgers. "I don’t think we are too far away now. I hope for him and the club it can be resolved.

"We haven’t had any offers. It’s something I’d be hopeful of. I have a lot of time for Stuart. I saw him when I first came in, I’ve seen the progress he has made, the confidence he has played with and I want to help him sustain that. I know what his goals are, I know where he wants to be and I think we can help him achieve them here. If that’s the case, he’ll sign. I think stability would be good for him. There are not too many players feel good about entering the last year of their contract. So I am really confident we can get something organised."