THE plane Celtic chartered to and from Astana is to be used by the Rolling Stones next month as they embark on what must be their millionth world tour.

It would be pushing it to suggest Scott Brown and the rest partied like Mick and Keef did back in the day after their qualification to the Champions League but the atmosphere up the front where the players and coaches sat was jubilant.

It had been rollercoaster of a night but they got through and that’s the only thing that counts.

Read more: Parkhead is key if Celtic are to progress in the Champions League

Six games, all very different, were negotiated in the qualifiers and as Rodgers said only 25 minutes, at the start of the second half on Tuesday night, caused Celtic any real trouble.

Although it did feel like an hour at the time.

Celtic didn’t have it easy. That they got through at all is an achievement because plenty of good teams, on a level or even better than Rodgers’s side, didn’t make it. No wonder the return journey from Kazakhstan was one which will be remembered fondly.

“You all see how hard it is to qualify,” said Rodgers when he had a bit of time to reflect on what his team had done. “Not many people know of Astana but they have invested a lot of money and going there can be difficult in terms of travel.

“Our club hadn’t been in the Champions league for a while. We found a way last year and we found a better way this year. And there has been an improvement.

“I will take 25 minutes like we had in this game over the course of a qualifying campaign if the end result is us getting through. That’s an absolutely brilliant achievement. We know we need to be better and what we have to work on.

Read more: Who can Celtic get in the Champions League draw this evening?

“The money we get is also huge for the Scottish game as it goes into the development of youth players. Commercially it’s great for the area too. Scotland is not the richest country so this brings different revenue streams into the country. It’s another great step for us in our project.”

Celtic, of course, aren’t perfect. Patrick Roberts will be a great addition and there are players to come back from injury – losing three centre-halves at the same time is bad luck – but Rodgers will need to strengthen and South African defender Rivaldo Coetzee is a good start.

They won’t be feared by anyone but will be one of those in Pot Four which most in two and three would like to avoid. Considering where they were 18 months ago, it’s a big improvement.

What the match in Astana proved was that Celtic are terrific going forward, but vulnerability at the back is clear.

“It’s an annual thing and thankfully this year we only had a 25-minute block to get through,” said a relived Rodgers. "We had to manage the moment the best you can.

“They changed their system and that became difficult. When they got the third goal we had to try to plug the gap and work our socks off on the side of the field to try get message across.

"At 4-1 there’s a period of the game left but we took a deep breath and then had to make sure that we didn’t get too emotional.

Read more: Parkhead is key if Celtic are to progress in the Champions League

“Momentum is important and when we got the second goal we were able to take it on from there. We always looked as if we could score, but I expect us to be better with the ball. But even with the better teams in the world it can be tough.”

Europe after Christmas is now the goal and third place in the group would guarantee that with those teams dropping into the Europa League knock-out stages.

The best team in Scotland will always find it difficult against the third best team in the biggest countries but if the draw goes their way and Celtic can keep everyone fit, the chance of a top two position is not impossible, although you would get long odds on that.

“There are frailties in every team,” Rodgers said. “You can shine a torch into every single side and pick up issues, but we’ve come through this qualification well.

“We know we need that extra bit of quality but I still want to work with these players to make them better. We have young players and at times when the momentum goes from you it can all become a bit of a blur.

“We lost a game the other night and I wanted the performance to be better. We started well and had good control, but it’s a learning night for our team exposed to that sort of pressure. I’m very proud.”

And, so, who does Rodgers fancy?

“You know when you come into this level that no matter who you get it will be fantastic,” he said. “We can sit back with pride on Thursday and be happy with that. Celtic are back in the Champions League.”