BRENDAN Rodgers is hoping Celtic fare better against Kilmarnock this afternoon than the last time he came up against a team that their manager Lee Clark was involved with.

Rodgers played for Northern Ireland in a schoolboys international against England at Carrow Road when he was a youngster – and was helpless to prevent Clark from scoring a hat-trick.

“Lee was a much better player than I ever was, that’s for sure,” he said. “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. We were the same age as the Scottish boys Paul Dickov, Brian O’Neill and Mark Donaghy.

“I remember that team got to the World Cup final the following year from when I played, losing to Saudi Arabia in the final. But that’s the time I first came across Lee.

“In that game he 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.”

Rodgers added: “He went on to have a great career in the game as a player. I think he’s maybe been unfortunate in his managerial career until now.

“He was a very good player, the same age as me, and has taken that into management with many years ahead of him.

“I don’t know him overly well, but when I’ve bumped into him I’ve loved his passion for the game. I look forward to seeing him. He’s a nice fella.

“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.”

Rodgers fielded a strong team for the Betfred Cup game against part-time League One opponents Alloa on Wednesday night.

He stressed he would do the same again for the visit of Kilmarnock despite a Champions League group game against Manchester City looming on Wednesday evening.

“We have Sunday, Monday and Tuesday before the game on Wednesday so we get an extra day recovery,” he said.

“The most important game is the next one so we will be all out to get a result at home. Hopefully we can fill the stadium and get as many people there and put on a performance and give them a good win. From that we will recover and get ready for the next one.

“We made five changes (for the Alloa game), but sometimes you can try and be too clever. I have been in situations before where you make nine, ten, eleven changes and then the team that are winning has lost rhythm and you lose flow in your game.

“Alloa have a winning mentality – they have 18 points from 21 so they have a winning mentality and that can give you energy. So I wanted to give them respect and give the competition respect and also for me to show my players the intent. This isn’t a second-rate trophy, it is the first trophy available and we want to win it.”