RODGERS INSISTS HE’S AT CELTIC FOR LONG HAUL

Alarm Bells not ringing in Glasgow for Rodgers

BRENDAN RODGERS has told Craig Bellamy he couldn’t care less if English clubs turn their noses up at his Celtic success because he isn’t using Parkhead as a platform to boost his own CV.

The Treble-winning Hoops gaffer responded to Bellamy’s claims he would struggle to land a top Premier League job as nobody south of the border has taken much notice of his achievements. But Rodgers, who was a whisker away from leading Liverpool to their first title in 24 years, shrugged off those claims from the Welshman (inset) who failed to win the title himself during a five-month Celtic loan spell under Martin O’neill. Rodgers, 44, said: “I am not here to boost a CV and get a job i n England – I am here because of Celtic. I respect Craig, he is very passionate about his life and his football. Seeing some of the comments I am not sure it is meant in that way but if it is, then okay.

“I am not here to worry about my next job, my only worry is Celtic and that is what I am paid to do.

“I love life in Scotland, first and foremost, I love the city. It has been great for me for the last 15 months or so.

“Of course the football has gone well and that is why we are here, we are here to win. I love that aspect of it and that’s my only concern.

“It is a club I love. I have really loved the life here, I love being here, I love the challenge of trying to develop the football club to a standard or a level that hopefully we can sustain and dedicate that excellence to.

“I have enough challenges and worries here to look forward to that are really exciting, whether that initiates a job elsewhere I am not even worried about that. I am not in a rush anymore, this is my fifth job and I started my career in management in my mid 30s and now I am 44.

“So I was in a rush probably the first few years, trying to get to the top, trying to get to Liverpool and blah blah blah.

“But I don’t really sense that anymore. My life has always been about developing players – if we can win trophies along the way then great.”

Rodgers takes his table-toppers to Ibrox tomorrow for the first Old Firm game of the season and is boosted with the news that Jozo Simunovic and Moussa Dembele are fully fit for the crunch trip.