Rodgers: Hartley was unfortunate

CELTIC manager Brendan Rodgers says Paul Hartley was “very unfortunate” to be sacked by Dundee two weeks ago.

The Hoops boss invited the f ormer Dark Blues gaffer to the champions’ training session at Lennoxtown yesterday as a show of solidarity with a fellow manager.

Rodgers said: “I’ve got Paul Har tley here and having a real good chat with him about his experience.

“He will dust himself off and go on and get another post and do a great job because I think he did a great job at Dundee with everything that was thrown at him.

“He i s a good guy. I thought he did a fantastic job at Dundee, I thought he was very unfortunate to lose his job.

“I know his work rate and ethic, so I am always disappointed for good guys like that.

“My door is always open to people like that. I try to make them feel we are all a big family, us managers and coaches.”

Rodgers is already working hard on his squad as he aims to make them even better for next season.

Ahead of t he visit of St Johnstone on Saturday, he said: “When I first came in here it was deemed it was going to be a close season.

“The gap has been created by the players and their performance.

“It has not something that has happened by accident.

“My aim is to make the gap even bigger next season, get in a few more players of quality that can help the group again, to push on to the next level.

“I am sure every manager at the beginning of next season will be superdetermined to play and work better and we will be no different.”

Former Dundee boss Paul Hartley and Brendan Rodgers.