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James Forrest will go joint top of Celtic's most decorated player list if he wins another trophy, but the winger will "never think too far ahead". The 33-year-old is currently on 24 honours and another would take him level with current record holder Bobby Lennox. Speaking to Sky Sports, external, Forrest said: "It's been a pleasure to play here for so long and win so many trophies. "I think you learn with Celtic that if you win a cup, win a league, it's about how quickly you bounce back and are hungry for the next one. "It's always been like that for so many years. It's just like that again this year. "In football you can never think too far ahead. The most important thing is you just focus on every day, the next game and that's maybe why we've had so much success. " Kasper Schmeichel's early impact proves why Celtic are "very lucky" to have the goalkeeper, says manager Brendan Rodgers. The former Leicester man, who has impressed in pre-season, reunited with Rodgers this summer after ending a year-long spell with Anderlecht. The Denmark captain, who played at Euro 2024, is tasked with replacing Joe Hart, who retired at the end of last campaign. 37-year-old Schmeichel is slightly older than ex-England keeper Hart, and Rodgers stressed the importance of keeping experienced hands between the sticks. "Just him coming in in this last 10-12 days or so has given the players a lift, " the Celtic boss told Sky Sports, external. "We had Joe here who was absolutely brilliant, he was an amazing character and goalkeeper, so it was really important for us to bring in somebody like that. "Having worked with Kasper, I knew his hunger and how competitive he was. I also knew how good he is around his team-mates. "Coming into a massive club like this is something he really relished. He's settled in really well, he's obviously an experienced goalkeeper and someone we're very lucky to have. " This video can not be played After a league and cup double last term, Celtic captain Callum Mc Gregor says the club will still strive to improve this season. Read more: Celtic 'too busy' to think about Rangers' pre-season problems Celtic target Adam Idah was left out of Norwich City's friendly with Hoffenheim for disciplinary reasons, head coach Johannes Hoff Thorup has confirmed. The English Championship club's new boss revealed the striker, who enjoyed an impressive loan spell in Scotland last season, "reported late" for a team flight on Sunday. Earlier this summer, the Scottish Premiership champions had a bid rejected to sign the Republic of Ireland striker on a permanent deal. A fortnight ago, the Norwich head coach said Idah "will be a valuable player" for him following a friendly appearance against Club Bruges. But after Tuesday's 2-2 draw with Hoffenheim, Thorup told club media: , external "He reported late for the flight on Sunday, we decided he should come as quick as possible. "Of course he could not be a part of this game today. There are some things we can accept and some things we cannot accept, this part we cannot accept it. " Celtic are stepping up their pursuit of 28-year-old Heart of Midlothian striker Lawrence Shankland as an agreement with Norwich City over a return to Glasgow for Adam Idah continues to prove elusive. (HITC), external Adam Idah will be disciplined by Norwich City after the 23-year-old striker failed to turn up for the club’s flight for their pre-season camp in Austria on Sunday and was dropped for their friendly against Hoffenheim after arriving later in the day. (Anthony Joseph on X), external Norwich City manager Johannes Hoff Thorup says Celtic's interest in taking Adam Idah back after his loan spell last season was "probably a factor" in him missing the flight to their Austrian training camp. (Daily Record), external Adam Idah has apologised to Norwich City manager Johannes Hoff Thorup after he went AWOL during pre-season. (The Herald), external Celtic captain Callum Mc Gregor is encouraged by the fact that transfer target Adam Idah remains part of the Scottish champions' player Whats App group since his loan spell in Glasgow from Norwich City. (The National), external Paulo Bernardo, the 22-year-old midfielder who was on loan to Celtic last season, was undergoing a medical examination on Tuesday night before completing his £3. 4m permanent move from Benfica. (Daily Mail), external Celtic are interested in a loan for Southampton 20-year-old Shea Charles but do not want to include him in a deal for fellow midfielder Matt O’Riley, who is a target for the English Premier League club. (Daily Record), external Wolverhampton Wanderers are not interested in letting 21-year-old Hugo Bueno leave the club at this stage of the window, with Celtic one of a number of clubs who have made an approach to take the left-back on loan. (Anthony Joseph on X), external Aberdeen have rejected a £3m offer from Spanish club Espanyol for Celtic-linked striker Bojan Miovski, while Italian clubs Bologna and Genoa have also been speaking to the 25-year-old North Macedonia international's representatives. (Daily Mail), external Read Tuesday's Scottish Gossip in full here. Celtic are "too busy trying to demand the very best of each other" to pay any attention to Rangers' problematic pre-season, says captain Callum Mc Gregor. Fans of the Ibrox side have become discontent throughout the summer following the news of their temporary relocation to Hampden, as well as their transfer activity and disjointed friendly displays. Despite being yet to sign an outfield player, Brendan Rodgers' men impressed in their summer tour of the United States, putting four goals past DC United, Manchester City and Chelsea in three straight wins. However, Mc Gregor dismissed any notion that Celtic have gained a pre-season boost from the perception that their city rivals are ill-equipped for the start of the campaign. "Nah, it's not something we've spoken about or looked at, " the Scotland midfielder said. "We have our own set of problems and challenges that we have to face in order to get better as a club and as a squad of players. "We're too busy trying to demand the very best of each other and what will be will be. "We're trying to control all the things that we can control, and push and demand as much as we can from the players. " Mc Gregor says the Celtic squad has "a real good core" that they will look to "build on" this season. And on the impressive wins over Premier League duo City and Chelsea, the captain added: "The way we've played in the last two games, especially against so-called big teams, gives us a lot of confidence. "But we know once you get into the real stuff, the competitive edge kicks in and the pre-season stuff doesn't really matter at that point. " Tino Fan writer It’s now almost ten weeks since Adan Idah wrote himself into the Celtic history books with his last-minute Scottish Cup winner at Hampden, but that’s more than enough time without competitive Celtic action. And while Idah is highly unlikely to be lining up against Kilmarnock on Sunday – nor any other new outfield signings by the looks of it – the excitement is building among fans ahead of another new campaign. A Premiership and Scottish Cup double in his first season back at the helm was a welcome return under Brendan Rodgers, and despite some questions about his desire in the early half of the campaign, the Northern Irishman showed all his credentials in the closing few months of the season. However, that was then and this is now, and after a highly successful pre-season camp in the US the manager, his players, and us as fans can now look ahead with optimism to what should be another exciting season. The league as always will remain the priority, with the team now going for title number 55, but the new Champions League format too is one that brings its own brand of excitement, and we can also look forward to the group-stage draw at the end of August. The lack of new signings is of course a cause for some concern, and quality additions are required if we’re to compete on all fronts, but I’ll keep my powder dry on that situation until nearer the close of the window. In the meantime however Rodgers continues to do what he does best by developing his players on the training pitch, and signs from the US are that we could be set for a big season from the likes of Reo Hatate, Kyogo and Nicholas Kuhn among others. Matt O’Riley too continues to excel, but if Atalanta, Southampton or any other interested parties decide to get serious then we can prepare to say our farewells to a player who’s impressed significantly during his time in green and white. As with any departure, the challenge would then be for the next Celtic hero to emerge to take us into 2025 and beyond. It’s time to do it all over again. Predicted league finish: Premiership Champions Standout player will be: Reo Hatate Game most looking forward to: Opening Champions League game at Celtic Park Tino can be found on The Celtic Exchange, external. Southampton's Shea Charles has emerged as Celtic's latest signing target, but it is not clear whether the move for the 20-year-old Northern Ireland international would be part of a deal for fellow midfielder Matt O’Riley to go the other way or if it would be a standalone approach. (Scottish Sun), external Celtic midfielder Matt O'Riley is on a list of Juventus "alternatives" if they fail to land Atalanta's Teun Koopmeiners, with the two clubs struggling to agree an acceptable price despite the Dutchman agreeing personal terms. (La Stampa via Juventus News24), external Adam Idah is in Austria with Norwich City despite reports that the striker had been left out of the club's pre-season trip pending a potential return to Celtic for the 23-year-old. (Football Scotland), external Celtic may face competition from Fiorentina and Hellas Verona for Norwich City forward Adam Idah, who was on loan to the Scottish champions last season. (Team Talk), external Wolverhampton Wanderers are concerned that 21-year-old left-back Hugo Bueno will not be given enough game time should he join Celtic on loan considering the Scottish champions are in negotiations to extend Scotland international Greg Taylor's contract. (Football Insider), external Unwanted Celtic centre-half Gustaf Lagerbielke could clinch a move to Serie A, with Verona and Parma interested in the Swedish 24-year-old. (Glasgow Times), external Paulo Bernardo's £3. 5m transfer from Benfica to Celtic is expected to be agreed this week after the 22-year-old midfielder agreed personal terms to return to the club where he spent last season on loan. (Football Insider), external Columbus Crew have rejected more than one offer from a Scottish club for 21-year-old Canada striker Jacen Russell-Rowe, with Celtic fans suspecting it is the Premiership champions. (Daily Record), external Read Tuesday's Scottish Gossip in full here. Ex-Celtic midfielder Scott Allan believes his former side "can only be favourites" to retain the 2024-25 Scottish Premiership title. Despite being yet to sign an outfield player this transfer window, Allan has been impressed with the pre-season performances of Brendan Rodgers' side. While Allan feels city rivals Rangers have become weaker and "not looked fluent at all" throughout the summer, the former Hibs and Dundee man believes Celtic are clicking into gear. During their tour of the United States, Rodgers' men put four goals past DC United, Manchester City and Chelsea in a trio of friendly wins. The reigning Premiership champions, who are bidding to win a fourth straight title this season, kick off their competitive campaign with the visit of Kilmarnock on Sunday. "I definitely think Celtic are the team to beat, " Allan told the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast. "I think Rangers as a squad are in a worse place now than they were at the end of last season, while Celtic seem to be motoring and will look to add as well. "You look at their squad harmony and their play in the pre-season games against top clubs. You can look at they games how you want to, but they are free-flowing and scoring goals. " Leicester City are weighing up a big-money offer for Celtic’s 26-year-old Japan midfielder Reo Hatate. (Daily Mail) Celtic midfielder Matt O'Riley is willing to wait for Atalanta to increase their bid in preference to moving to Southampton despite offers so far falling far short of the Scottish champions' valuation of the 23-year-old. (Tuttomercato) Brendan Rodgers admits that Gustaf Lagerbielke is set for a Celtic exit in the summer window, 12 months after the 24-year-old centre-half's £3m arrival from Elfsborg. (Daily Record) Tanner Tessmann's agent Andrea D'Amico has conceded that Venezia's asking price may scare off suitors amid interest from Celtic after Inter Milan pulled out of a deal for the 22-year-old United States midfielder. (Radio Bruno via Daily Record) Read the rest of Monday's gossip. Brendan Rodgers insisted Celtic have had the best pre-season possible as they rounded off their US summer tour with a 4-1 win over Chelsea. The victory followed a 4-3 triumph over English Premier League champions Manchester City, and a 4-0 thumping of DC United. "We still have another good week’s work before we arrive into there but this preparation phase over the last 12 days has gone as well as it possibly could have done, " Rodgers told Celtic TV. "Players looking sharp, looking fit, looking intense, and then the quality of the football to score the goals. We have scored 12 goals in three games and two of those against really high-quality opponents. "We are in a really good place. Now, get back safely and prepare for flag day. " It was a full-strength Chelsea side that Celtic came up against in Indiana but goals from Matt O'Riley and Kyogo Furuhashi had them 2-0 up at half-time before further strikes from Luis Palma and Mikey Johnston. "I know that big teams don’t want to lose games whether it’s pre-season or not, " Rodgers added. "In the performances we had what you’d want from a top team – we had structure, talent in the team and then you have work. "Across the board I am really, really happy with the performances. And with the younger guys coming into the game there was no difference, they pressed the game, they harassed the opponent and then showed their quality when we had the ball. " Manager Brendan Rodgers is sweating on an injury to Daizen Maeda after the Japan forward was substituted early in Celtic's friendly against Chelsea following a first-half clash with Reece James. (Scottish Sun) Leicester City are one of several clubs interested in signing ex-Celtic forward Ben Doak from Liverpool either on loan or permanently. (Sunday Mail) Read the rest of Sunday's gossip. Mikey Johnston scored Celtic's fourth goal in Indiana Celtic continued their impressive pre-season with a 4-1 humbling of Chelsea in their pre-season friendly in Indiana. Having beaten English champions Manchester City 4-3 on Wednesday, they claimed another Premier League scalp in their final warm-up before their Scottish Premiership opener against Kilmarnock on Sunday, 4 August. Matt O'Riley, for whom Celtic reportedly have rejected summer bids from Atalanta and Southampton, opened the scoring after 19 minutes at Notre Dame Stadium after goalkeeper Robert Sanchez had saved from Rio Hatate. After Sanchez denied Kyogo Furuhashi, Denmark midfielder O'Riley set up the Japan striker for the second just after the half-hour mark. Louis Palma added the third after 76 minutes after a mix-up involving Sanchez and centre-half Benoit Badiashile. Palma then set up fellow winger Mikey Johnston to slide the fourth under Sanchez before Chelsea replied through forward Christopher Nkunku's 89th-minute spot-kick. Celtic "still have a bit of work to do" to get to where they need to be for the beginning of their Scottish Premiership title defence, says manager Brendan Rodgers, but they have been "absolutely superb" on their pre-season tour of the US. Rodgers' side face Chelsea later on Saturday in their final friendly game across the pond and have already beat Manchester City. The performance against Pep Guardiola's side was one which impressed Rodgers, as have the training sessions. “In North Carolina we had good training and a great game, ” the manager said, now in Indiana. “We’ve recovered and having finished a good training session is this amazing facility, we’re prepared and looking forward to the game. “I think I mentioned that earlier on in pre-season that we weren’t at our level in terms of pressing, because it’s so important, that defines how good you are in attack. "So, for us, it’s more of the same. The players have been absolutely superb all over the course of pre-season but in particular over this tour we’ve had here. "Our game is based around that pressure and intensity because when we play with that, then you can see it’s the same rhythm with the ball and we look very effective. " Rodgers also confirmed that USA international, Cameron Carter-Vickers, will feature in his homeland against Chelsea having missed out in previous games due to his involvement in Copa America. "We’ve been scoring goals, we’ve been really creative and working well, " he added, "but there’s still a bit of work for us to do before we arrive to where we want to be against Kilmarnock. " Celtic have signed goalkeepers Kasper Schmeichel and Viljami Sinisalo this summer, but are yet to bring in an outfield player. Which positions do you think the club need to target if Brendan Rodgers' side are to achieve their goals this season? Are there any particular players you think Celtic should be after? Have your say here, external. Celtic players Matt O'Riley and Stephen Welsh are attracting interest Celtic have rejected a third offer of near £14. 4m from Atalanta for Denmark midfielder Matt O'Riley, 23. (Gianluca Di Marzio - in Italian), external Southampton manager Russell Martin would not confirm or deny a bid for Celtic midfielder Matt O'Riley but admitted that he has kept in touch with the 23-year-old since they worked together at MK Dons. (Daily Echo), external Mechelen have bid for Celtic defender Stephen Welsh, 24. (Record), external Celtic may be looking for a new left-back but manager Brendan Rodgers wants Greg Taylor, 26, to sign a new contract extension. (Sun), external Celtic will open new contract talks with left-back Greg Taylor in the coming weeks. (Football Insider), external Meanwhile, Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers stresses that Kyogo Furuhashi, 29, is not for sale, insisting the Japan striker is happy at the Scottish champions. (Record), external Read Saturday's Scottish gossip Paulo Bernardo will sign a five-year contract with Celtic after a fee of around £2. 5m, with a significant sell-on clause, was agreed with Benfica for the 22-year-old midfielder who spent last season on loan in Glasgow. (Mais Futebol), external St Johnstone youth defender Callan Hamill has travelled with Arsenal’s under-18 squad for pre-season, but the 15-year-old is facing a decision on his future as Celtic have tabled a three-year contract offer. (The Athletic), external Celtic winger Ben Quinn could land himself a move to Mansfield Town after the 19-year-old impressed manager Nigel Clough by scoring three goals in as many friendly games while on trial with the League One club. (Football Scotland), external Read Friday's Scottish Gossip in full here. Twenty-seven years ago today, in the summer of 1997, Celtic officially signed Henrik Larsson from Feyenoord, the Sweden international striker joining during the managerial reign of Wim Jansen. Having gone on to play 315 games and scored 242 goals, he is widely considered to be one of the club's greatest-ever players and has been dubbed "The King of Kings" by the Celtic faithful. We asked for your thoughts on Celtic's performance in their pre-season friendly win over Manchester City. Here's a taste of what you had to say: Andy: Some excellent performances. Khun did well and the pass for Kyogo's goal was outstanding but shout-out to Kasper for a great debut. Nearly stopped their opener too! O'Riley looks better with every game. Pity we won't keep him. That said, we desperately need defenders. It is so obviously the weakest area of the team. Also need striker cover for Kyogo. Jim: I think they still need cover for midfield as O'Riley moves on, and Mc Gregor needs looking after. Cover at full-backs as well as big striker and possibly another academy graduate. Dave: Glad to see Kuhn getting off to a good start. Drifted in and out of matches last season but Celtic needs someone reliable out there on the right with an ageing Forrest and inconsistent Yang. Ian: Kuhn looked really good, as did Schmeichel and O’Riley. Need to cough up for Idah and get after a quality left back, left-sided centre half and a replacement for O’Riley, otherwise, it will be ‘same old same old’ in the CL. Gordy: Khun definitely looks fitter pre-season, Kasper is a great addition in goal, however good to remember it was a friendly, but another good workout for some players who struggled last year, hopefully with a few quality additions we can get a run in Europe but it is looking very encouraging for the new season. © 2024 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.