RODGERS WANTS TO BE CELTIC BOSS AGAIN
BRENDAN RODGERS last night expressed hope he will be remembered for the unprecedented success he enjoyed at Celtic when the anger over his sudden departure subsides– and revealed he would like to manage the Parkhead club again in future. Rodgers spoke publicly yesterday for the first time since agreeing to take over at Premier League club Leicester City earlier this week and addressed the fallout there has been to his shock exit. There has been a furious reaction to the Northern Irishman, whose side is bidding to win a historic treble treble, leaving before the end of the season among incensed Celtic supporters. At the Ladbrokes Premiership game against Hearts at Tynecastle on Wednesday night, ultra group The Green Brigade unfurled banners which read: “You traded immortality for mediocrity. Never a Celt. Always a fraud.” The double treble winners have since condemned a video of a group of fans chanting vile songs about Rodgers in a pub in Edinburgh that has been posted on social media as “pathetic and disgusting”. However, Rodgers revealed that he had asked to remain in Glasgow until the end of the 2018/19 campaign and stressed that it was Leicester, who paid £5 million compensation to secure his services, who had insisted he move now. “It was never the case,” he said. “I had a frank and amicable talk here. It just wasn’t something that they wanted to do. That will be verified by Peter [Celtic chief executive Lawwell] who spoke to Leicester. Speak to Peter. Peter will tell you categorically Leicester said that was their position. “It is unfortunate there will be rumours, but the actual reality is when they came in Peter rang me and said: ‘Listen, Leicester have said you’re their man, they don’t want to wait until the summer’. “He asked them as well. So that’s when I went to speak to them. Peter will confirm that as well. That was the conversation because he relayed that to me. “I know the truth. If there’s a narrative around something else I can’t control that. Like I say, Leicester made the approach to the club and were very clear, they were prepared to pay big compensation to take me out, I was their candidate.” Rodgers added: “That was something I asked. Could it wait until the summer? But they felt it couldn’t. So I then have to make a decision. “There was no way I was wanting to do what I did, with 11 games to go, in a cup quarter-final and having won a trophy. Everybody could see my passion in my last home game against Motherwell. “But very quickly that night, there was an approach and I had to deal with it. You have a choice to make then but waiting until the summer was one of the things I’d asked. “It [Rodgers staying at Celtic until the summer] was beyond what Leicester wanted to do and you can understand their position. There were 10 or 11 games to go and they have top players here, who were
unsure of where the club is going. They need to make a statement, show ambition and maybe look to keep some of the players.
“I know we succeeded at Celtic. And ultimately that’s the measure I look at. Hopefully that is what I’ll be remembered for. Time will be a healer.”
Rodgers described the reaction from some supporters as “sad” and admitted he would like to return to the Glasgow club he had grown up supporting on good terms in future and even revealed he would consider going back as manager one day.
“I would be hugely, hugely disappointed if I never could [go back to Parkhead],” he said. “I would be incredibly disappointed if I never could after everything that I’ve given.
“Would I work in Scotland again? Of course I would. I loved every single second of being there. When it calms down in maybe 10 years I could maybe go back to Celtic. Absolutely. 100 per cent.”