Brendan Rodgers claims Celtic's 4-0 win against Linfeld on Wednesday shows they are much stronger than the same time 12 months ago.

The 44-year-old was appointed as the new Hoops manager in May 2016 and enjoyed a very successful debut season at Parkhead with a domestic treble, while the side remained undefeated throughout the Scottish Premiership campaign.

The signs ahead of the 2017-18 season already look good as a Scott Sinclair brace and goals from Tom Rogic and substitute Stuart Armstrong sealed a comfortable win against Northern Irish part-timers Linfield in their Champions League qualifying clash.

Celtic won the two-legged tie 6-0 on aggregate and will now face tougher opposition in the shape of Norwegian side Rosenborg, who beat Irish champions Dundalk 3-2 on aggregate.

And, looking back a year to the Hoops shock 1-0 defeat against Lincoln Red Imps on their way to qualifying for the Champions League group stages, Rodgers feels this latest display shows how far the side have progressed.

He said: "Some of our football at this stage of the season was very good. The fitness of the players will have gained another extra notch forward.

"Our only real disappointment was we didn't score more in the first half. We were a bit wasteful but that happens at this stage of the season. Our intensity wore them down in the end so I'm very pleased.

"Tactically we're very good, physically we're still building up. But the team and the whole shape, how they're working, playing and running, we are 100 per cent in a different place to this time last season."