Celtic secures third straight league title in Scotland and stays on course for a trophy double

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Celtic’s Matt O’Riley, left, celebrates with Adam Idah after scoring their side’s fifth goal of the game during the Scottish Premier League soccer match between Celtic Glasgow and Kilmarnock at The BBSP Stadium Rugby Park, in Kilmarnock, Wednesday May 15, 2024. (Jane Barlow/PA via AP)

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Celtic’s Adam Idah, right, celebrates scoring their side’s first goal of the game during the Scottish Premier League soccer match between Celtic Glasgow and Kilmarnock at The BBSP Stadium Rugby Park, in Kilmarnock, Wednesday May 15, 2024. (Jane Barlow/PA via AP)

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Celtic’s Alistair Johnston celebrates after team-mate Daizen Maeda scores their side’s second goal of the game during the Scottish Premier League soccer match between Celtic Glasgow and Kilmarnock at The BBSP Stadium Rugby Park, in Kilmarnock, Wednesday May 15, 2024. (Jane Barlow/PA via AP)

KILMARNOCK, Scotland (AP) — Celtic clinched a third straight Scottish league title with a game to spare on Wednesday.

A 5-0 win at Kilmarnock gave Celtic an unassailable six-point lead over fierce Glasgow rival Rangers.

It’s the first silverware of Brendan Rodgers’ second spell in charge and moved Celtic onto 54 league titles — one behind Rangers’ record total in Scotland.

Celtic could also secure a league-and-cup double because it plays Rangers on the Scottish Cup final on May 25.

Celtic had fallen behind in the title race in February despite being seven points clear of Rangers after Rodgers’ first seven league matches back in charge.

But the team got back into first place midway through April and Wednesday’s triumph at Rugby Park made it 22 points from the last eight games.

“It was so good and it was a joy to watch. To make us champions, I’m so proud,” said Rodgers, who won a treble of trophies in each of his first two seasons in charge in his first spell from 2016-19.

“I would have probably been dreaming of that moment over the time I was away and hoping it would happen again. It’s a really good feeling.”

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Late in the game, the Celtic supporters reprised their song about Rodgers “coming home to lead the green and white” — a staple during his first spell in charge but a chant he had not heard for some time following the mixed reaction to his return.

The misgivings from Celtic fans arose because of the way he left for Leicester in February 2019 — just when the team was on course to win the Scottish title.

Rodgers got emotional when asked about that moment.

“It felt really good,” he said. “I thought they had forgotten my name! But it was about the team and the support staff.

“There was so much stuff in the first six months, it felt a little bit awkward, I have got to be honest. And awkward for everyone. I think it was a bit surreal. And there was a lot of challenges from a management perspective, a lot of tedious stuff that took place. I have never had that before in my career.”

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