Scottish Daily Mail

Brendan has taken things up a notch. Only the highest of standards will do

- By BRIAN MARJORIBAN­KS

AT their first meeting, John Kennedy and Brendan Rodgers bonded by sharing their respective experience­s of being shunted along the coaching pathway prematurel­y by having a promising football career cut short by injury.

If the former Scotland defender was left impressed by the new Celtic manager’s knowledge of his own playing days, however, his already healthy respect for the former Liverpool boss would soon soar further.

Since witnessing the staggering, almost obsessive attention to detail of the Northern Irishman on the training ground at Lennoxtown, Parkhead coach Kennedy is utterly convinced the Scottish champions have hired a head coach with the highest of standards.

And he is certain Rodgers’ commitment to wanting everything impeccably will translate to success in Glasgow, including ending Celtic’s three-year absence from the Champions League group stage.

‘My first impression­s of the new manager are very good,’ said Kennedy after Celtic were paired yesterday with either Flora Tallinn or Lincoln Red Imps in next month’s second round of qualifiers.

‘He speaks about standards and he is very precise. Already the detail of his preparatio­n is second to none.

‘For even a meeting or a training session, he’s taken things up a notch — to the most minute detail.

‘Now the colours of the cones and the poles have to be the same. And the pitch has to look a certain way when we go out to train. And for training-session plans, there are red and green pens used for making notes about different teams.

‘It’s all about standards and the players will react by saying: “I like this”.

‘Celtic are a top club and we need to have top standards. That’s the way Brendan Rodgers works and it’s great for everyone at this club.’

A coach under the failed Ronny Deila experiment, Kennedy admits that he was left in limbo after the Norwegian’s departure was announced back in May.

A man whose Celtic career was ended prematurel­y by a horror knee injury sustained while playing for Scotland against Romania in 2004, Kennedy feared his long associatio­n with the Parkhead club was coming to an end.

Had he been ushered out the door he would have contemplat­ed becoming a manager in his own right. But he is content to learn from a man who was within a Steven Gerrard slip of winning the English Premier League title two years ago with Liverpool.

‘When Ronny Deila and John Collins came in, I was with the reserves and I stepped up and had a great two years,’ he recalled.

‘Yes, it could have been better in certain aspects, but the experience working with those guys was terrific and we are still in touch.

‘When the manager’s time was up, I spoke to the club and they said there were no decisions made. They had to get a manager in and it was a case of taking it from there.

‘Yes, it was an uncertain time but that’s football. It’s the same when any manager changes.

‘If your face doesn’t fit then it’s time to move on. When you step up to first-team level then job security becomes more of an issue than at youth level. At the top you’re there to be shot at but that’s all part of the thrill and at some stage it will happen. ‘Brendan Rodgers — a big name in the game — has asked me to be part of his coaching team and it’s an honour to work with him and (No 2) Chris Davies. I’m thrilled. ‘I’d like to manage further down the line and if I hadn’t been wanted here I may have moved on and maybe taken a job by myself. ‘But at this moment in time, I’ve been given a chance to stay and work with a top manager. ‘I will learn from him and that can only stand me in good stead for when I move on. But that’s way down the line yet...’

Kennedy’s priority now is to repay the former Swansea boss by furnishing him with all the informatio­n needed about Scottish football for the Rodgers revolution to be a roaring success.

‘I met up with the new manager about six days after his unveiling,’ added Kennedy (left). ‘We met for a few hours and had a great chat. He’s good company, he’s a good people person and he’s good to talk to. He’s intelligen­t, too.

‘We had a good chat about both our careers. Brendan also got injured early and went into coaching. He’s been doing it for 20 years now and has been working for top clubs.

‘I suppose you could say it was like a job interview but he’s a very calming person. He’s down at your level. He’s not got an ego and he doesn’t sit there like the boss man.

‘He’s very likeable and everyone has taken to him straight away. You can feel the excitement around the place and everyone is looking forward to getting started in pre-season.

‘For me, this is an opportunit­y to learn but having been here a long time I, hopefully, can add something to them, too. Hopefully, I can give something back.

‘One of his reasons for keeping me on was I know the club, I know the players, I know the game up here.

‘Continuity is important in the coaching staff as well as on the playing side, too. The manager has not made wholesale changes to either and the transition has been smooth so far.

‘For everyone here now, it’s just good that someone of the calibre of Brendan Rodgers has come in. We all need to embrace him being here.’

 ??  ?? Back to basics: Brendan Rodgers looks on as the Celtic players go through their paces on the first day of pre-season training
Back to basics: Brendan Rodgers looks on as the Celtic players go through their paces on the first day of pre-season training

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United Kingdom