Rodgers: Spending on new pitches will help Scottish game

Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers feels that investment in quality playing surfaces by Scotland’s top-flight clubs will raise the level of the nation’s football and help develop its players, according to the Herald.

The Scottish Champions have splashed around £1.5 million on a hybrid pitch known as a ‘desso’ surface which will be completed at the end of the season.

After Rodgers’ arrival in Glasgow, he quickly set about ripping up the old Parkhead grass to be replaced with a blend of astroturf and natural grass which he feels will allow his side to play at a higher tempo.

It won’t be how I want it until the summer. It was a two phased approach as we had to get in below right and the grass bit on top of it and then the Desso put in in the summer, hopefully that’ll see a faster game and a better game more consistently. Thankfully the club back us on that last year.

Admittedly, very few clubs generate the same revenue of Celtic and many don’t have the cash for such hi-tech pitches but the Northern Irishman is keen for the quality of surfaces to improve, especially when developing young players.

I’ve seen a lot of young Scottish footballers since I’ve been up here and they’ve always got to be sure of their first touch. They have to take a touch, why? Because the pitches are poor. They don’t learn to play quickly, it’s difficult for them to play one touch because they are always fighting with the ball.

An optimistic Rodgers hopes to see Celtic’s new surface completed in the summer and his players to show a real difference in their game next season that may inspire other Scottish clubs to follow suit.