Few men can really inspire but Billy’s legend will never fade away

Rodgers recalls being brought up on tales of mighty Cesar, the giant who always led from the front

FOR Brendan Rodgers, the very mention of ‘Cesar’ transports him back to his childhood days, growing up in the sleepy Northern Irish harbour village of Carnlough.

Billy McNeill, the Lisbon Lions captain and the first British player to hoist aloft the European Cup, was idolised by Rodgers’ late father, Malachy, and his Uncle Gabriel.

So much so that McNeill’s nickname — inspired by film star Cesar Romero — was usually spoken in hushed, reverential tones in the Celtic-supporting family’s home during their many debates on football.

Over the course of a successful managerial career at Swansea, Liverpool and now at Parkhead, 44-year-old Rodgers has coached global stars of the modern game like Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez as well as crossing paths with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

But none of them have engendered in him the same kind of awe he experienced when finally meeting the legendary McNeill for the first time after a 1-0 home win over Aberdeen on February 1.

For the past seven years, the former Celtic skipper has been fighting dementia with the loving support of his family and wife Liz.

This cruellest of disorders may have robbed him of the power of speech but it will never diminish the 76-year-old’s status as a footballing icon and an inspiration for subsequent generations.

‘Billy McNeill is one of the true great legends of this club. A real icon of Celtic,’ said Rodgers yesterday.

‘He led the greatest-ever team here at Celtic. He was the leader of that team.

‘He was an incredible player and he went on to be a really successful manager here, too.

‘I grew up in and around the house and my relatives’ house to talk of “Cesar”. That was all I heard growing up. It was all about Billy McNeill.

‘I was fed the stories of 1967 when I was a young guy. These figures are prevalent in your upbringing and then you get the chance to meet them.

‘It’s like me seeing Danny McGrain here every day. I can’t believe I’m talking to Danny and I’m left thinking: “What would my dad think?”

‘And when I met Billy McNeill I just thought of my uncles and all my family and I went into a dream.

‘It’s the same with Bobby Lennox, Stevie Chalmers and the rest, and that never, ever goes away. It’s clearly sad, the news that has come out. I saw Billy at Celtic v Aberdeen. That was the first time I had met him.

‘I knew he wasn’t well when I came here and that it was tough. But when I heard he was coming to a game, I made sure I could meet him.

‘He was in good spirits. The twinkle was still in his eye but, like his wife said, he finds it hard to communicate at the moment.

‘When you think of the figure of the man he was and what this (dementia) can do, you think … you also think about what age does to you as well.

‘But there are very few figures who really inspire generations of people. You look at Jock Stein and what he did at Celtic and Billy is one of those who inspire many people, too.

‘They will keep inspiring the younger generations because the legend will never fade away.’

When Celtic beat Aberdeen to lift the League Cup in November, it was the club’s 100th trophy in their 129-year existence. As a player and as manager, McNeill won 31 of those pieces of silverware; a statistic that underpins his legendary status. Now, 50 years after that Lisbon Lions side swept the board domestically while conquering Europe, Rodgers believes his job and that of his players is to strive to match the standards set by McNeill and his ilk, however impossible a task it might seem. ‘It’s remarkable really,’ he said, when reflecting on how McNeill won 31 trophies with the club. ‘For the younger players, these guys (the Lisbon Lions and Stein) are the reason they are here. ‘They are why when I first came

Billy McNeill won 31 trophies while at Parkhead as player and manager, including the European Cup. Cesar’s playing career at Parkhead spanned the years 1957 to 1975.

in here I asked them to defend the culture of this club because these are the guys who created it.

‘It was the same at Liverpool. I was never frightened of the past as the great history of Liverpool was one of the big reasons I went to the club. I wanted to create new history.

‘Coming to Celtic, I knew in a lot more depth about the history of the club, being a supporter. And that aspect is still very strong in my thinking.

‘I have to make sure we measure up to the standards these guys created. And that’s in terms of humility, as much as the playing side.

‘When I sit with John Clark and I have a cup of tea after training or meet some of the other guys, you only have to spend a short bit of time with them and they give you little bits of gold dust.

‘Not many people can give you that. These were guys who weren’t playing for the money.

‘They were playing for the love of football and for the love of the club. The game was still the game back then.

‘I always find the time for these guys. We are here because of them.

‘For me, in Scotland, it’s important that I have a core of Scottish players. If I worked in Spain, the core would have to be Spanish.

‘But it’s important that all the players understand very quickly the culture and the size of this club. They need to know what it means to play for Celtic.

‘Guys like Billy McNeill created the history of this club. Billy is certainly in the thoughts of every Celtic supporter, and every person who works here.

‘He will never stop coming to the games, I’m sure, when he can.

‘His wife has done an incredible job with him — and the family have all the support from us they will ever need.’

31 I was fed the stories of 1967 as a young guy