Betfred Cup Final: Celtic v Aberdeen (Sunday 3pm)
BRENDAN Rodgers insists his managerial career will not be defined by trophies as he prepares for the Betfred Cup final against Aberdeen on Sunday.
Rodgers won a Championship play-off final with Swansea but so far no major tournaments with former clubs Watford, Reading and Liverpool. whom he managed before he joined the Parkhead club in the summer.
The first of three major domestic trophies in Scotland are up for grabs at Hampden Park at the weekend with the Hoops strong favourites against a side they have beaten twice in the Ladbrokes Premiership this season.
However, asked if it would be gratifying to collect major silverware for the first time, he said: "No. It really isn't.
"When I started coaching my aim in coaching was to improve players, to develop players and if you are fortunate enough and lucky enough as a coach to work with teams that allow you to win trophies then great.
"Lots of coaches, lots of manager never have that opportunity.
"Some do, they are blessed to be able to work with players that have the opportunity to do that.
"But it will never define me as a coach, it may others, but it doesn't me.
"My view has always been 'can I improve players, individually and as a team?' and of course the consequence of that is trophies and that is what we want to achieve.
"But on a personal level, it doesn't affect me whatsoever.
"Hopefully over the course of my career, people will respect my work with players and my behaviour off the field and that means more to me than a load of trophies."
Asked if his view on managerial success was unusual, Rodgers expanded on his holistic beliefs.
"I worry for the club, the team, the players, I want them to be successful," said the former Kop boss who will have striker Leigh Griffiths back after recovering from a tight hamstring but will give Scott Sinclair every chance to recover from a hamstring complaint.
"And make no mistake, of course I want to win but I don't lie in bed worrying about it, worrying what I have on my CV.
"There are some coaches I look at and respect all around the world, guys like (Marcelo) Bielsa who I have followed intently all my life.
"A brilliant coach, an innovator of players and teams and maybe he hasn't won a whole bagful of trophies over the course of his career but he has had brilliant teams set up that I have always admired and that doesn't make him any worse or less a coach than anyone else.
"As I said, you can be very fortunate as a coach to walk into a team or club that gives you a great opportunity to win trophies but not all coaches are fortunate so for me I don't think it is unique, it is just how I see it.
"But make no mistake, I want to win and my ambition is always for Celtic."
