Cameron Carter Vickers on what Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers did to impress during double winning season

Celtic star Cameron Carter-Vickers hopes his double success helps him make the cut for the USA squad at the Copa America - as he praised Brendan Rodgers for guiding the Hoops through the negativity.

Not many players have been able to enjoy the immediate success to Scottish football that Carter-Vickers has done at Parkhead, but the American defender is certainly enjoying the time of his life at club level. Carter-Vickers is coming off his third-straight Scottish Premiership title and third-consecutive campaign overall in which he's lifted two or more trophies. After originally joining Celtic on loan during the 2021-22 season, the 26-year-old has been a stalwart in the Hoops backline, making over 100 appearances in all competitions.

Knowing that Rodgers is likely to boost his squad this summer, Carter-Vickers admitted that reinforcements are welcomed ahead of a return to the Champions League next fall. The stopper's productive three seasons at Celtic have also allowed him to become a consistent figure in the USA squad. After earning eight caps in four years from his 2017 debut, Carter-Vickers has the same amount of appearances over the past two years, featuring at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and also during the recent run to a third-straight CONCACAF Nations League title.

Home friendlies against Colombia and Brazil are next on the agenda this month before Gregg Berhalter's squad is trimmed ahead of the 2024 Copa America where the hosts face Panama, Bolivia and Uruguay. Carter-Vickers is hoping to be part of the busy summer as the latest chapter of his international career.

He said: "We have the Copa America and two friendlies before that. The squad has been announced for the friendlies and I think they might make a few cuts before the tournament squad. Hopefully, I am in the squad."

Speaking about the possibility of the Celtic strengthening, he said: "I have been here three seasons now and we always tend to sign a lot of players.

"That’s just part of it. Since I have been here every player we have signed has come here with the right attitude and tried to help the team as much as they can. That’s all you’re looking for."

Carter-Vickers has worked with both Ange Postecoglou and Rodgers during his time in Glasgow, being named in the PFA Scottish Premiership Team of the Year on two occasions. Despite receiving growing interest from England and elsewhere, Carter-Vickers signed a five-and-a-half-year contract with Celtic last January, which would keep him at Parkhead until 2029.

Rodgers, who has now lifted nine trophies during his two spells as Celtic boss, has continued to trust Carter-Vickers at the heart of his defence, especially with some slight injury knocks sidelining the American at times this past season. Carter-Vickers praised Rodgers' impact at the helm, hinting at the 51-year-old's calmness with the squad.

“I’ve really enjoyed working with Brendan this year," Carter-Vickers said. "One thing he’s done really well, kind of throughout the season, he’s kind of keeping us as a group calm and confident. Glasgow there’s a lot of talk and it’s easy to get sucked into being negative or maybe losing your head a little bit but the one thing he’s done really well is keeping a calmness to the group," he added.