Scott Brown relishing opportunity to work with new Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers

Celtic captain Scott Brown is eagerly awaiting what Brendan Rodgers is cooking up for his Hoops squad after his London dinner date with the new boss.

One of former Liverpool manager Rodgers' first acts after being appointed as the new Parkhead chief was to invite his captain to the English capital for a face-to-face meeting.

The pair dined at Rodgers' home and chatted through the Northern Irishman's vision for the club.

Now Brown says he is excited by what is on the menu at Celtic Park this season.

The 30-year-old midfielder told CelticTV: "I didn't cook so it was okay! It was a great meal. We sat down and chatted for a good couple of hours about the past and the future and what we're looking to do, and he was spot-on with everything.

"It's going to be exciting times. His ideas and philosophy are great and it's going to help me and a lot of the lads in the changing room. I'm looking forward to it.

"He spoke about a lot of things, such as responsibilities, talking on and off the park, bringing the lads as close together as possible, making sure we have a good team morale and that we work hard on the park.

"The main thing is to get as fit as soon as possible for the Champions League qualifiers. We need to try and get through them to reach the Champions League as that is where this club deserves to be and hopefully we will be there this season."

Rodgers was praised for his insistence on playing with two strikers during his Anfield stint but Brown believes his new charges at Celtic will have to show flexibility if they are to impress the former Reading and Swansea boss.

He explained: "It's going to be good for us because he's going to chop and change formations, and we're not just going to be one-dimensional so that will be something to keep everyone on their toes."

The Celtic fans have also reacted with enthusiasm to Rogers appointment. Over 13,000 turned out to see his Parkhead unveiling while the club has already sold more than 41,000 season-tickets.

"It's a huge name for everyone and everyone will learn a lot from him and that's what we wanted," added Brown. "Peter Lawwell, chief executive and the club have done really well to get him on board.

"He's managed huge clubs and almost won the league with Liverpool a couple of seasons back. To have 13,000 fans come to the stadium to see him is something some clubs don't even get on matchdays and it shows how well-respected he is by the Celtic fans."

Brown's performances last term were hindered by hamstring issues last term but the Scotland midfielder insists he will be ready to hit the ground running when the club returns for pre-season training on June 20.

"It was both my hamstrings and I also got bone bruising against Hearts in my final game so I was falling to bits towards the end of the season," he explained.

"The rest is always good and it's the longest I've had since coming to Celtic and it was definitely needed.

"I have had a few days off which were good and I have just been trying to get over my injuries and making sure they are okay for the start of pre-season. I started back running the other day there and I feel okay so hopefully I can kick on now."