CELTIC CONFIDENTIAL: The astonishing streak of luck that’s accompanied Brendan Rodgers’ unbeaten Scottish Cup run… and the  player who’s given up football to join the fashion industry

So Brendan Rodgers’ remarkable Scottish Cup record continues, this time with a 2-0 win against Hibs in last Sunday’s quarter-final tie at Celtic Park.

The deserved victory, which arrived courtesy of goals from Daizen Maeda and Adam Idah, maintained the manager’s 100 per cent record in the competition across two spells in charge of Celtic.

Twenty wins from 20 matches is an impressive statistic. With Rangers out of this season’s competition, it will be no surprise if that is extended to 22 by the summer.

Unerring consistency over such a lengthy period is rare, especially in knockout competition where there is always scope for even the best teams to come unstuck.

While red cards, own goals or just bad days at the office are not fatal to a league campaign, they can bring a cup run to the most abrupt of halts.

However, Rodgers’ Celtic are always at it, rarely leave themselves exposed to misfortune and, if we are being honest, carry a little luck when it comes to Scottish Cup draws.

Of those 20 victories that Rodgers has presided over, 12 have been at Celtic Park and six at Hampden, where the semi-finals and finals are held.

Just two of the ties have been elsewhere. Rodgers’ first experience of the Scottish Cup was a 3-0 win at Albion Rovers, and there was a 2-0 triumph at St Mirren last year.

Interestingly, that Albion Rovers game was played at the Excelsior Stadium, which means that only one of Rodgers’ 20 Scottish Cup ties has been held at the home of Celtic’s opponent.

The draws have been kind alright, but Rodgers and his players are to be commended for taking full advantage. His flawless record is one of which he can be rightly proud.

Perth will be just like Parkhead for fans in potential title party 

Talking of home advantage, McDiarmid Park will be like a home from home for Celtic when they take on St Johnstone in their Premiership clash on April 6.

If Brendan Rodgers’ runaway league leaders win their next two games at Parkhead, against Rangers and Hearts, they can clinch the title with victory away to St Johnstone.

As a result, the Perth side have announced that Celtic fans will be housed in three of the four stands in their stadium.

It’s a move that won’t go down well with the purists in the Saints support, especially among those season-ticket holders who will have to be moved into the Geoff Brown Stand to accommodate the visitors.

However, the Premiership’s bottom club are at pains to stress that it makes sense for them both from a safety point of view and economically

A St Johnstone spokesman described the match as having ‘the potential for unique issues’.

He added: ‘There is increased interest in this game and there is legitimate concern that Celtic supporters could obtain tickets in home fan areas, creating additional safety issues. We believe it is thus prudent to consolidate our support in the Geoff Brown Stand.

‘We always strive to create the best possible home advantage for our team but, in addition to the safety of our fans, we must also consider the financial realities that come with operating as a sustainable football club.

‘Substantial additional revenue will be earned from allowing Celtic fans to fill the East Stand, revenue that will benefit our player budget for next season.

‘As a result, and following lengthy discussions, we can confirm that away supporters will be allocated the East Stand, North Stand and Ormond Stand. As there are accessible seating areas in the East Stand, we will not be required to sell tickets to away fans in the Geoff Brown Stand.’

It all has the potential for a huge title party in Perth, assuming Celtic beat Rangers and Hearts.

Then St Johnstone will be hoping they can be party poopers, not only at McDiarmid Park but when the teams meet in the Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden over the weekend of April 19 and 20.

Kieran Tierney still playing a part for Arsenal… at Raheem Sterling’s expense 

When Kieran Tierney agreed last month to rejoin Celtic in the summer, Brendan Rodgers was asked whether there had been any prospect of an earlier move north.

After all, what did Arsenal need with a player who had spent much of the season in the treatment room and had fallen out of favour with his manager?

Were Celtic not close to securing a January transfer? Or at least a loan move for the defender who had already signed a pre-contract agreement?

‘No, it wasn’t close,’ said Rodgers, stressing that it was out of their hands and that Tierney would continue to be a part of Arsenal’s squad for the rest of the season.

Now we can see why. Tierney has come on as a substitute in each of his club’s last three games: at half-time against Nottingham Forest and with 15 minutes to go against PSV Eindhoven and Manchester United.

More intriguingly, he has been given a different role. In the last two of those games, he has been deployed almost as a winger, offering energy, width and a dangerous delivery from his advanced position.

His part in the 1-1 draw at Old Trafford last Sunday was fascinating. With their title challenge fading, Arsenal needed a second goal, but Arteta preferred Tierney to Raheem Sterling, who remained stony-faced on the bench.

A winner never came, but Tierney made an impact, adding urgency to an Arsenal side who were struggling to find a way through. His contribution was appreciated by supporters, who later voiced their approval on social media.

Arteta, it seems, does not share their enthusiasm for Tierney, at least not in the long term, but he has enough respect for the player’s ability to include him in Arsenal’s efforts to stay in touch with Liverpool.

All of which is great news for Celtic fans, who have a top player coming their way. They can scarcely wait to welcome back the 27-year-old academy product who lifted eight trophies during his first spell at the club.

Tierney is a title-challenging, Premier League talent, a Scotland international who is strong, versatile and about to rejoin the Parkhead side at what should be the peak of his career. If he can avoid the injuries that have too often held him back, he will be quite a signing.

Young player trades in Hoops jersey to launch his own fashion label 

Fair play to young Bruno Davidson who has announced that he is retiring from professional football to start a new career in the fashion industry.

The 20-year-old winger had been a regular in Celtic’s B team, played against Real Madrid in the UEFA Youth League, and represented Scotland at Under-16 level.

But forging a path into the first team proved difficult for the Singapore-born player, whose contract was due to expire at the end of this season.

So Davidson has opted to give up on his dream of a football career, either at Celtic or elsewhere, and instead launch his own clothing label.

The new brand, called Bruno Narducci, is inspired by the label of his Italian grandfather, Pasquale Narducci, and represents the fulfilment of a long-held ambition.

‘For those who know me, this isn’t a sudden shift,’ explained Davidson on Instagram. ‘My decision was made over a long period of time and was well thought out and planned. This is something I’ve been passionate about for years and now I’m ready to take that next step.’

Not many players in the youth system will make it into Celtic’s first team. Some will even struggle when they leave the club and drop to a lower level.

Davidson was a promising player who was more than good enough to earn a living from football, but there are no guarantees in this game.

By stepping away from the uncertainty, he has taken control of his life and embarked on an exciting, potentially-longer career in a business that is special to his family. Good luck to him.

Giorgos Giakoumakis isn’t the only Celtic link down Mexico way 

Celtic fans who like to keep tabs on their former favourites will no doubt be aware that Giorgos Giakoumakis has long since traded the MLS for life in Mexican football with Cruz Azul.

Now the Greek striker has been joined in Mexico City by another European adventurer who once came close to moving to Celtic himself.

Mateusz Bogusz is a Polish international midfielder who was targeted by the Parkhead club as a direct replacement for Matt O’Riley following his move to Brighton last summer.

Talks with MLS side Los Angeles FC didn’t go far once it was revealed they would require a bid starting at £8million to consider selling the former Leeds United man.

That didn’t deter big-spending Liga MX side Cruz Azul, who in January paid £8.5m for Bogusz and offered him FIVE times the wage he was on at LAFC.

He has linked up with Giakoumakis, and the pair look destined for silverware this season with their team seven points clear at the top of the table.

The Mexican league has managed to lure its fair share of European talent over the past decade. Former Dutch international Vincent Janssen spent three years at Monterrey after his failed spell at Tottenham, while Real Madrid icon Sergio Ramos is currently captaining Monterrey at the ripe old age of 38.

France World Cup winner Florian Thauvin spent two seasons with Tigres UANL before returning to Europe with Udinese.

However, it is one of his former team-mates who is the king of European settlers in Liga MX.

Andre-Pierre Gignac, himself capped 36 times for France and a losing finalist at Euro 2016, left Marseille for Tigres in 2015 and is now in his tenth year with the club, having scored a whopping 190 goals in 386 appearances.

Giakoumakis and Bogusz have some way to go to reach the standards set by Gignac.