Auston Trusty has revealed how Brendan Rodgers drives the elite standards within Celtic's dressing room and ensures the players stay motivated.
The American joined the club last summer on transfer deadline day for £6m from Sheffield United.
Trusty has since made 34 appearances and moulded into a key figure at the heart of the Celtic backline alongside his fellow countryman, Cameron Carter-Vickers.
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He is raring to face Rangers at Parkhead later this afternoon and dismissed claims that the game doesn't hold as much significance due to Celtic's lengthy 16-point lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership table: "We can’t have that mindset," he said.
"The mindset comes from the top. The manager drives it all, and we follow his lead. We give everything for him.
"The atmosphere and environment in and around this team doesn’t allow it. There’s no room for it whatsoever. We are taking this very seriously.
"There are plenty of reasons why it matters. This is the kind of game that attracts you as a player, these kinds of matches provide so much emotion, good and bad. These are the situations you want to be involved in."
The 26-year-old missed Celtic's most recent clash with Rangers through a sickness bug.
Rodgers' men lost 3-0 that day and will be keen to make amends in Glasgow's east end this afternoon as Barry Ferguson's side make the short jaunt across the city.
