Philippe Clement hailed the “amazing” achievement of James Tavernier after the Rangers captain broke the British goalscoring record for defenders in the 3-1 win over Hibernian at Ibrox.
Light Blues winger Scott Wright had the ball in the net in the 21st minute after Hibs keeper David Marshall saved a Tavernier penalty but was penalised for encroachment.
However, the 32-year-old Gers full-back, who joined the Light Blues in 2015, made amends by firing in his 22nd goal of the season and his 131st in total, taking him past former Preston, Burnley and Scotland defender Graham Alexander, who scored 130.
In the second minute of added time Myziane Maolida levelled, only for Gers striker Cyriel Dessers to put the Gers back in front with a header before the interval.
Substitute Rabbi Matondo drove in a third in the 85th minute to take the Light Blues two points ahead of Celtic at the top of the cinch Premiership.
Clement, who described the victory as “very satisfying”, said: “It’s an amazing achievement, especially as he still has a couple of years to go so he can only make this record bigger and bigger.
“If you speak about the full history of football then you cannot imagine how many good defenders and how many defenders with good attacking qualities who have played the game.
“To be there on top – it’s an amazing achievement and we’re all proud of him. I said it in the dressing room also after the game.
“I don’t too often point out individual players, I don’t like it too much, but I had to do it this time.
“All the players are really proud of him, all the staff and the fans and everybody involved with Rangers. It’s really quite exceptional.”
Tavernier described his achievement as “crazy”.
He said: “If you would have told me when I first jumped into professional football that I would have a chance to become the highest-scoring British defender in history I would not have believed you.
“That is down to all the team-mates I have played with over the years who have helped me through the journey. I will just continue working hard and see how many I can get until I hang my boots up a long way down the line.”
Celtic have the chance to reclaim top spot at Livingston on Sunday before they visit Govan next week.
Clement is confident but does not believe the match is a title decider.
He said: “I’m confident we can win against everybody. Are we at our best now? No. We had all the injuries and some players are not there at their best yet.
“But I also know that we can win that game and we have the quality to do that.
“It’s also not the decisive ending game of the season. We still have eight games to go.”
Hibs boss Nick Montgomery had no complaints about the result.
He said: “I thought in patches we played good football but not good enough today.
“Against quality opposition you have to do the basics well and stop crosses, pick up in the box and block shots at the edge of the box.”
Rodgers hails Celtic character as Hibs win makes it 30 unbeaten
Brendan Rodgers credited Celtic's togetherness after their 3-0 victory over Scottish Premiership strugglers Hibernian made it 30 domestic games unbeaten.
Hibs dropped back to the bottom of the table after passing up a host of presentable opportunities in Glasgow, with Kasper Schmeichel making several saves in the Celtic goal.
Arne Engels had put Celtic ahead in the sixth minute, with a Joe Newell own goal and a Kyogo Furuhashi strike making the points safe after half-time.
Celtic have not lost a domestic game since a 2-0 defeat to Hearts in early March, and they now hold a nine-point advantage over Aberdeen – who they beat 1-0 on Wednesday – at the top of the table.
Celtic gave up 14 shots worth 2.19 expected goals (xG), while attempting 21 worth 3.89 xG in an open game on Saturday, with Rodgers subsequently acknowledging they were not at their best, particularly in defence.
"It was a great, great win for us on the back of a tough game in midweek," Rodgers said. "You can see where Hibs' confidence has improved and they had chances.
"We were nowhere near the level of our defending, even though we've kept a clean sheet and that's a huge testament to Kasper because we haven't given away much at all this season.
"Today we were just slightly off it and that gave them opportunities to score but, overall, I think to get the win and to keep winning really shows you the mental toughness and the character within the team."
Celtic are back in Champions League action against Dinamo Zagreb on Tuesday, before facing Old Firm rivals Rangers in the Scottish League Cup final next Sunday.
Unai Emery sets Champions League mission as Aston Villa edge Southampton win
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery is quickly turning his attention to the UEFA Champions League following their 1-0 Premier League win over Southampton.
Jhon Duran's first-half goal sealed successive league victories for Emery on the back of three straight top-flight losses against rivals Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham.
Victory against the Saints is a vital boost for Emery ahead of a crucial few weeks of action before the end of 2024.
Villa head to RB Leipzig on 10 December, looking to push their case for a spot in the Round of 16, followed by four more league clashes this month.
The immediate focus for Emery is on Leipzig, with Villa's contrasting European form a cause for concern, despite a brilliant start on their Champions League debut.
Three straight wins in their first appearance in the competition since it was renamed – including an historic 1-0 home victory over Bayern Munich – put Villa in a strong position, but defeat to Club Brugge and a 0-0 tie with Juventus has stalled their momentum.
The former Arsenal chief wants this result to act as a platform for his team ahead of their tricky trip to Germany in midweek.
"Over the 90 minutes we had chances to score more, but sometimes they dominated possession. We managed the game plan to try and find a way to win," as per quotes from BBC Sport.
"The most important thing is how we're progressively getting more comfortable on the field. We had to use substitutions because we have the Champions League on Tuesday. Three matches in nine days. We have to be ready with the players we have available to try and enjoy the competition.
"The Champions League is something we have to enjoy, but we also focus on the difficulties in the Premier League, and the challenge against Nottingham Forest is something else. But, we have to try and get to the next round of the Champions League."
Up next for Villa is that Midlands derby with Forest, followed by a crunch clash at home to Manchester City on 21 December.
A win for Villa puts them up to fifth in the table, but defeat for Southampton registers as their 12th league loss of the campaign so far, with Russell Martin's team still rooted to the foot of the table.
Individual mistakes are becoming a theme, and centre-back Taylor Harwood-Bellis was robbed by Duran for Villa's winner, with Martin left to rue a familiar frustrating story for his team.
"We gave away a poor goal when it was a good, tight game. We changed shape and then the game became transitional. They were trying to find another goal, so it became very open," he said.
"We're two v one, and we had a chance to clear the ball, and we don't. It's another mistake. We forced them long, and then we had another two v one, and he [Duran] somehow comes out with the ball and scores."
Up next for Southampton is a home tie with Tottenham next weekend, followed by an EFL Cup quarter-final at home to Liverpool on December 18.
JFF, Reggae Boyz Head Coach wish Antonio speedy recovery after car crash
The Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) has issued a statement wishing for the speedy recovery of Reggae Boyz and West Ham United striker Michail Antonio following a motor vehicle accident in Essex on Saturday.
Since news of the accident, West Ham have confirmed that Antonio is in stable condition at a London Hospital, conscious and communicating under careful supervision.
JFF President Michael Ricketts and Reggae Boyz Head Coach Steve McClaren have both offered world of encouragement to Antonio in the statement sent out by the federation this afternoon.
"On behalf of the entire group of players, support staff and technical staff, I would like to wish Michail a speedy recovery. Our thoughts and prayers are with him at this time,” McClaren said.
“On behalf of the entire Jamaica Football Federation family, I would like to wish Michail a safe and speedy recovery. At this point let us keep him in our prayers as he recovers,” Ricketts added.
Further updates will be issued in due course between West Ham United in collaboration with the Jamaica Football Federation.
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