What Rod Stewart told Elena Sadiku as star seeks out Celtic women’s coach after Erin Cuthbert and Chelsea get last laugh

ELENA SADIKU revealed last night that Rod Stewart waited after the defeat to Chelsea to speak to her and her players.

Singer and lifelong Hoops fan Stewart was at Stamford Bridge but Sadiku’s side couldn’t hit the right notes as they lost to Sonia Bompastor’s side.

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“He wanted to tell me he was proud, which was nice,” said Sadiku.

“He got emotional meeting the girls.

“I think it is obvious it is our first time in the Champions League but to manage something great for the first time and to manage to compete against the best, it is something that makes everybody proud, especially a great Celtic fan like Rod Stewart.

“We know how much we have been growing throughout the competition.

“When we sit down and look at what we have achieved, we will be proud.

“But it makes us want to win the league again and get back into the Champions League.

“We don’t have any pressure on us. They can be more relaxed but domestically the pressure is on us and we should always be going full in and not thinking that we don’t want to lose, we don’t want to make mistakes.

“That is something we have to work on. We always have to be brave and comfortable on the ball.

“This competition is something we can learn so much from.”

Chelsea‘s passage to the quarter-finals of the women’s Champions League was secured with two games to spare.

Goals from Lucy Bronze and Wieke Kaptein sent them into the break with their noses in front.

There was a third from the spot – the last kick of the ball – after Eve Perisset netted following a Shannon McGregor handball. 

Celtic will take positives from the fact they did not concede further – although Chelsea will know that if they are to go deeper in the competition they will need to be more clinical. 

Bronze got Chelsea off to the ideal start with her goal with just 65 seconds on the clock.

Catarina Macario’s ball was met on the volley by the England internationalist but Kelsey Daugherty will feel that she ought to have done better.

The keeper got a hand to the ball but couldn’t keep it out with the goal an indication of what was to follow for Celtic.

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The London side were dominant in possession and for much of those opening stages there was a fear about what might lie ahead for Sadiku’s side.

To their credit, they managed to steady themselves only to them concede a second midway through the opening period.

Guro Reiten’s cross was met by Kaptein whose glancing header took the ball past Daugherty for a second time.

It gave Celtic the proverbial mountain to climb with little real evidence they could genuinely trouble their hosts. 

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There could have been more in the second period with Caitlin Hayes having to make the block to deny substitute Mayra Ramirez while Kelly Clark had to clear off the line from Guro Reiten before the third goal at the death.

Cuthbert was pictured smiling as her arrival from the bench was accompanied by boos from the away fans by dint of her connection with Rangers.

The Scotland hero – who has won a hatful of honours since arriving at Stamford Bridge seven years ago – makes no secret of her affection for the Ibrox side.

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