Brendan Rodgers claims that Celtic’s exhilarating start to the Champions League campaign vindicates the club’s summer investment.

The Parkhead manager expressed his pride in the team’s outstanding opening to the European campaign, which included a 5-1 thrashing of Slovan Bratislava. Rodgers believes everyone associated with Celtic can take immense satisfaction from the result. He said: “I think the other night was a great vindication for everyone. I think for the board and the money they’ve spent, they will have enjoyed watching the team.

“The supporters, seeing the game, witnessing the team’s verve, the dynamism, all the attacking football they would want, and feeling that the team is representing them. And then the players themselves on the pitch, performing brilliantly, fighting for the team, fighting for the club, and delivering great football, which is what’s expected. So I think everyone was vindicated.”

Rodgers had called for quality signings and spoke about the need for boldness in the transfer market at the close of the January window. The club’s management responded during the summer with signings such as £11 million Arne Engels and £9 million Adam Idah.

Both players scored against Slovan as the entire team reached impressive levels. When asked if his earlier remarks had proved a point, Rodgers responded: “No, I didn’t need to prove a point. It was simply a case of the board doing a fantastic job. They brought the players in, and I said throughout the window that I knew what we wanted, and we were all aligned in that vision.

“And by the end of the window, once we secured the players who could help us, it was a great achievement by everyone involved. Now you can see what the calibre of these players brings to the team.

“Whether it’s an £11 million player or a £1.5 million player, I will always strive to develop and improve them, no matter the price or whether they’ve come through the academy. But when looking at this group of players that came in last year, and after working with them and seeing how we want to progress, there were certain characteristics I felt we needed.

“And knowing in the back of my mind that someone like Matt [O’Riley] might leave – not only do you lose goals and presence, but you also lose a set-piece specialist, as he was very good at those. So knowing that Arne fitted that profile was why we were so keen to bring him in to help us.

“It was an outstanding team performance, everything I could ask for. A team full of desire and energy, and the atmosphere in the stadium was absolutely incredible. What I’m starting to see now is the identity in the team that I’ve been aiming for.

“That has taken a bit of time, but now I’m seeing what I want, which is really encouraging. And now it’s about building on that and creating a highly successful team. As I’ve said, our task here at Celtic is to honour and preserve the great history of this club and its winning mentality, but also for the modern team to create our own history. So yes, we’re in a really good place, but there’s still a long way to go.”