GLASGOW • Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers hailed his players for overcoming every challenge they had to face on their way to breaking their own 100-year-old British record unbeaten domestic run.

The Scottish champions extended their domestic undefeated streak to 63 games with a 4-0 thrashing of St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park on Saturday.

In the process, they stretched their lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership to three points following Aberdeen's 2-2 draw away to Hamilton Academical.

They eclipsed the Celtic team of Willie Maley, who went 62 league games unbeaten - pre-League Cup while the Scottish Cup was not played during World War I - between 1915 and 1917.

Rodgers' team are joint-third in Uefa's all-time domestic unbeaten records list, alongside Moldovan side Sheriff Tiraspol.

Gibraltar's Lincoln Red Imps (88) - who ironically began Rodgers' tenure last year with an embarrassing defeat in a Champions League first-leg match - are ahead of them. Out in front are the great Steaua Bucharest team of the late 1980s, with 104.

"To break that record is special," Rodgers, who was marking his 400th managerial game, said.

"It's an incredible feat by the players, and a wonderful example of professionalism and of creating high standards every single day."

The 44-year-old Northern Irishman said people may scoff at the Scottish level of opposition, but insisted Celtic have had to cope with external factors like poor pitches.

"The consistency they have shown is absolutely remarkable," he said.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE