Bravo to Celtic. Bravo.
An incredible piece of news out of Parkhead tonight has just been confirmed by the club; Tom Rogic has committed to the cause for five more years. It is the best development we could have hoped for. It is a classic piece of business, timed to perfection, in the run up to the Scottish Cup Final.
It is a masterstroke.
Rogic had been talking about holding off until the World Cup was past, but he has never hidden his admiration for Brendan Rodgers or his emotional attachment to the club itself. He has always wanted to stay, but the money had to be right and the deal had to give him the security he craved for himself and for his family. It was wholly understandable that he took time to consider this and had he waited until the tournament was over I would not have been surprised.
Tom is one of those players who has caught the imagination of the fans with a series of stunning displays and important goals – big goals – in big games. He has already secured a reputation as something of a Sevco Skelper as well. In a season where our strikers weren’t as on form as they might have been, he came through time and again.
He has since Brendan became manager.
The hacks have been salivating about the prospect of him leaving for months, and the idea that we might not get full market value for him as his contract was winding down has some of them practically wetting their pants. They had his bags packed already, and they were getting ready to write the final pages of his Celtic career.
But Tom Rogic knows what our club is. He knows what his place in it is. He knows that there is more here than he’ll get anywhere else, including that chance to make history in the ten in a row quest. This is immortality. This is earning a good living and being remembered forever.
All of this confirms what we’ve been saying on this all along; Celtic’s plans for the next campaign are well underway. Players are committing their futures because they believe in what we’re doing and where we’re going. This is not just Tom Rogic committing the next five years of his career to Celtic, this is a vote of confidence, of faith, in what this club has planned for them.
He could have gone somewhere and got more money. Everyone knows that. He is rated south of the border. He could have gone and made himself a very rich man. He won’t exactly be penniless at Celtic Park, of course, but to him this was not about money.
Tom Rogic is a believer. He’s one of us. He gets it.
And he’s here for ten in a row.