Leaving Celtic was never in my mind, says Tom Rogic
Tom Rogic insists he never considered leaving Celtic for England.
The Hoops midfielder had been linked with a move to Southampton, who were keen on making the Australian their latest import from Parkhead following successful swoops for Fraser Forster, Victor Wanyama and Virgil van Dijk.
But the 25-year-old has slammed the door shut on his Premier League suitors by agreeing a new five-year deal.
And Rogic - who could chalk up a decade worth of service at Parkhead if he sees out his new contract - confessed that is all down to the hold the Hoops have on him.
"There was only ever one thought on my mind,'' he said. "I can't control what's going on outside but within my own mind I wanted to stay here.
"No-one had to sell the Celtic vision going forward too much, it sells itself. I've been here five years now so I know certainly what the club is about. I didn't need any more convincing.
"Obviously over the last couple of years we've been successful and the manager (Brendan Rodgers) has been a big part of that, so I'm excited to be working under him.
"My relationship with the manager was very important to my decision but the club is the reason I stayed.
"The manager is the best manager I've worked with and I feel I've grown under him. I just need to keep working hard and I'll be able to become an even better player.''
Rogic has proved himself a man for the big occasion, netting a string of crucial goals since arriving from Central Coast Mariners back in 2012.
But he admits the Celtic support have yet to see the best of him.
He said: "I certainly feel I've got levels still to reach. There's an element where I can be proud of what I've achieved at the club so far but I certainly feel I have a lot more to give.
"I've progressed my whole time here but I don't want to stop at that. I'll keep striving for better.''
Chief among the classy playmaker's memorable moments is last year's William Hill Scottish Cup final, when he blasted home the last-gasp winner against Aberdeen just as a bolt of lightening split the sky above Hampden.
But Rogic is refusing to dwell too much on last year's display as he looks to spark the win over Motherwell in this year's final which will seal an unprecedented double treble.
"I wasn't aware of (the lightening bolt) at the time but people have told me about it since,'' he said ahead of Saturday's clash with Well.
"It's hard to describe how it felt to score that goal in those circumstances.
"It's a day I'm never going to forget and of course they are memories I can look back on.
"But tomorrow is a new day and it's a completely different match, so last year's game doesn't count for much. Now we've got a chance to create new memories.
"We know what we were able to achieve last year and we're one game away from matching it. We were confident last year as we are in all games and tomorrow is no different.'