Brendan Rodgers and Kilmarnock manager Lee Clark can compare back-in-the-day stories when the meet for a post-match drink at Celtic Park this afternoon.
The pair first became acquainted during schoolboy international football – and Rodgers will look to avenge a 4-0 drubbing with a Clark hat-trick a significant part of the undoing from their inaugural meeting.
“Lee was a much better player than I ever was, that’s for sure,” smiled Rodgers.
“I’ve met him at various times down the years but we go way back to when I was an Under-15 Northern Ireland international and he was with England.
“We were youth and schoolboy internationals at the same time.
“In that game I played against us, they actually battered us and Lee scored a hat-trick.
“The game was at Carrow Road, Norwich’s ground, and they won 4-0.
“At that time, when you played youth international games, you met up with the opposition after the game and you all went on the same bus to the town hall and had a meal together.
“So he’d scored a hat-trick that night, getting three from midfield, opposite me! We were hopeless.
“It was a long time ago but they had a good team with the likes of Jamie Redknapp playing also.”
And Rodgers believes that the Killie manager hasn’t the rub of the green in his managerial career to date.
“I think he’s maybe been unfortunate in his managerial career until now,” said the Celtic boss.
“I don’t know him overly well but when I’ve bumped into him I’ve loved his passion for the game.
“He was a very good player, the same age as me, and has taken that into management with many years ahead of him.
“He has a tough job there at Kilmarnock but it handling it very, very well.
“They got a good result against Rangers and will want to come and do well against ourselves. But I look forward to seeing him. He’s a nice fella.”
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