BRENDAN Rodgers believes that European football "deserves" to have Celtic back at the top table and feels that beating Hapoel Be'er Sheva to return to the Champions League group stages after a two-year absence will help convince Uefa that they have a major role to play in the competition's future.

The Celtic manager - who has adjusted his preparations for tonight's crucial play-off round first leg tie against the Israeli champions to allow top-team players like Leigh Griffiths to take his son Rhys and daughter Kacie to their first day at school - has noted reported changes to the qualifying format in the continent's major club competition which would see the top four teams from the biggest four leagues in Europe automatically qualify from season 2018-19.

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While the former Liverpool manager understands the commercial need to ensure the continent's biggest clubs are represented in the Champions League, he feels the door most be kept open for the "great historical clubs of European football" such as Celtic and Ajax, even if they are marooned in one of the continent's smaller footballing markets.The Herald:

“I think for European football, they need the big clubs in there," said Rodgers. "But Celtic is a big club, a huge club. The competition is a better place for clubs such as Celtic and Ajax; teams with this great history of the European Cup and Champions League.

“It’s not just for the club, it is for the opposition as well because for them to come to Celtic Park is an experience many great players over the years after spoken about," he added. "It is one of the best experiences they have ever had.

“So European football deserves Celtic at the top table. I understand and respect the money in England. But surely it’s not all about the money. It’s about the prestige and there has to be a door wide enough for the type of club like Celtic and the great historical clubs of European football.”

With sums north of £16m on the line, tonight is the biggest match of Rodgers' short period at Parkhead so far, but the Celtic manager - who discussed these matches and other matters over dinner with one of his predecessors, Neil Lennon, recently - says he will not lose any sleep in the hours leading up to the game. While he stresses this is a "new team with a new idea" to the one which failed in successive seasons under Ronny Deila, he also feels the players who have missed out in recent times will have learned the lessons from their recent near misses.

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"The players who have been here over the past couple of seasons have felt the pain within that," said Rodgers. "The message I’ve looked to send to the players is that we don’t really want to go back into that. But whatever has happened in the past is irrelevant, really. This is a different team with a different mentality and a different manager. That’s how we have been approaching it.The Herald: Brendan Rodgers believes Celtic are now "playing without fear"

"When that music comes on and the flag is fluttering in the middle of the pitch, everyone will sense the size of the occasion," he added. "You have to stay calm. The work has gone in with the players and the staff to try and make sure we arrive at a good moment. The players are ready. I will sleep fine and we will be ready for the game."

Qualification for the Champions League would, of course, also unlock further transfer revenue as the Northern Irishman reshapes Celtic. "If you have a situation where a player wants to work at that level and play at that level and has been at that level then that can excite him," said Rodgers. "Whatever we have we will have European football here this season, which is important for Celtic. But certainly we want to have the best European football, which is Champions League. That does help if you are trying to bring in players."

Read more: Griffiths hoping school run can help propel Celtic into big boys' playground

While Hapoel Be'er Sheva overcame Olympiakos in the last round, Rodgers feels the Israeli champions, who tend to line up with five across the back, have less individual talent than FC Astana but more of a team ethic. While Patrick Roberts is out with a hamstring injury, Rodgers said Nir Bitton and Erik Sviatchenko would be available again to bolster his options after injury.

"I would say there is less individual talent within this team," said Rodgers. "But they are very much a team. They are very, very workmanlike, they really make it difficult for you to score goals, they play five along the back and the goalkeeper is six. The two midfield players are eight and the two guys on the sides filter back to make 10 or sometimes eleven behind the ball. It provides us with a different challenge. We have to be patient, we want to be aggressive and counter pressing will be important. And, obviously, when you have chances at this level you have to take them."