Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has dismissed accusations of showing Rangers a lack of respect as “without merit”.

Rodgers had said the league leaders “can have a bit of fun” in Saturday’s Old Firm derby, prompting a spiky response from Ibrox boss Philippe Clement.

But Rodgers insists the line was used with “no context whatsoever” and repeated his admiration for “one of the most iconic games in world football”.

Celtic are three points ahead of their Glasgow rivals, with just three matches remaining as they seek a 12th title in 13 years.

“I have never referred to these games other than being intense, being competitive,” said Rodgers.

“I love it. It’s one of the reasons I am here, the great pride and privilege I have in managing Celtic in a Rangers game. So the whole emotion, the whole feeling around this game is absolutely amazing.

“I have seen some of the headlines around the ‘disrespect’ and whatever else but it is totally without merit. I would never be that person to disrespect another manager or another team.”

Knight’s first home international, against Ireland in 2010, was played at Kibworth Cricket Club in Leicestershire. On Saturday she will lead England out for the first Twenty20 international against Pakistan at Edgbaston in front of an expected 15,000 spectators.

With professionalism, crowds and cash come scrutiny, expectation and pressure.

“The best advice I got was to be the captain the team needs me to be,” says Knight, sitting in the Birmingham sunshine.

“Right now the team needs someone pretty relaxed because we’re pretty clear how we want to play. When I first took over, I was a young captain of a young team and we needed a lot of direction.”

This summer already looks set to be another record-breaking one in terms of attendances for England women matches.

The 75,000 pre-sold tickets is a higher figure at this point than in last year’s Ashes summer, an impressive achievement considering this year’s tourists Pakistan and New Zealand do not have the pedigree of the Australians, and there is no Test match.

For Knight, taking the game to the “next level” is the “new normal”. For the younger members of her squad, such as Alice Capsey, Charlie Dean and Freya Kemp, there was never an old normal. To them, it has always been like this.

Striker Callum Wilson speaks to Football Focus reporter Liam MacDevitt about all things Newcastle United and his chances of making England’s Euro 2024 squad.

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