Brendan Rodgers praised his stand in defender Stephen Welsh after he came off the bench at Pittodrie to help Celtic secure an important 3-1 win against Aberdeen.

The Coatbridge bhoy has been linked with a move away from the club over the past 18 months, but Stephen has remained and is still plugging gaps when he is called upon.

Reports earlier this month claimed Celtic and Brendan Rodgers had let the centre-back know that he was still very much wanted at the club, but if Stephen felt he wanted to go out and search for better first team opportunities, the club would look to honour that.

It chimes very much with what Brendan Rodgers said in his post-match interview at Pittodrie.

Asked about Stephen, Rodgers told Planet Radio: “I thought he was excellent when he came in,” Rodgers said. “I like Stephen. I took him with me one pre-season when he was a young player because I really liked him.

“For whatever reason he hasn’t maybe played the games but he’s a Celtic boy who wants to be at the club. I want him to be at the club.”

On the matter of how much game time he could see this season, the Celtic manager replied: “I said to him, ‘I can’t guarantee you how many games you are going to play. You may play 40 games in the season’.

“But I know he is always ready. He trains very hard every day and he came into the game, he played with composure, and he is aggressive. It was really well done from him.”

Welsh is in an interesting position. He’s playing at his boyhood heroes and knows he will get game time throughout the season. However, he must weigh that up with what’s best for his career and development, could he make a name for himself elsewhere? It’s the conflict the defender will have within himself.