Reo Hatate called out by Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers over 'sloppy' habit frustrated boss doesn't like

Brendan Rodgers admits he hooked Reo Hatate against Rangers after some "sloppy and loose" play in the Celtic midfield engine room.

The table-topping Hoops' moved within touching distance of the title as they claimed a six advantage over their rivals at the summit with just two games remaining. Celtic need just a point from their final two games to mathematically secure the title - but Rodgers wasn't in party mode despite closing in on the Scottish Premiership crown.

Hatate was replaced by Tomoki Iwata in the closing stages at Celtic Park and Rodgers didn't hold back on the Japanese international - claiming that Hatate gives the ball away too much "for his liking". Speaking after the full-time whistle, Rodgers said: "My message at 2-1 was just to keep the ball and manage the game. That's why Reo came off. He's a big talent but he gives it away too much for my liking.

"As a midfielder you have to control the game. You have to show love for the ball and take care of it. It was too loose and sloppy. The game became more tense than it should have been.

"We missed a penalty to make it 3-1 and that's a game that could have ended up 5-1 or 6-1. That's the downside but if you win a game against Rangers the upsides are much greater."