THE REAL DEAL
Rodgers can deliver fabled ten-in-a-row, says Lawwell
PETER LAWWELL says Brendan Rodgers is the perfect man to lead Celtic’s charge to ten-in-a-row after he signed a bumper new four-year contract yesterday.
Already the highest-paid manager in the history of Scottish football, Rodgers has negotiated fresh terms after winning the Premiership title last weekend and is now committed to Celtic until 2021.
The triumph secured six-in-a-row for the Scottish champions and, after hailing Rodgers as ‘world-class’, chief executive Lawwell insisted the club have the best man in charge to extend that to ten.
‘At this moment, it would be very difficult to find anyone better suited than Brendan to achieve it (ten-in-a-row),’ said Lawwell.
‘When you get to six, it gets closer and closer and our fans are obviously looking at it. But, as we all know, you’ve just got to do it season by season, do your work, keep improving and just keep winning.’
Lawwell rejected any claims Rodgers’ new
deal might essentially be an insurance policy against a cashrich club from England poaching him in the summer, given that he’d previously been on a 12-month rolling deal. ‘That wasn’t the motivation behind it at all,’ said Lawwell. ‘Brendan knows Celtic and he has understood the club from the minute he walked through the door. Our working relationship is first-class. ‘It sends out a message to other clubs not to bother wasting your time. He is staying with Celtic and he is fundamental to what we are trying to achieve. ‘He is a world-class manager. I have been here for 14 years and worked with five different managers. They are all great managers, but Brendan is world-class. Technically, tactically, he is exceptional. ‘He has surpassed all our expectations, but the most surprising thing is that’s he’s done it with the same squad. ‘That shows you one of his main strengths is making players better. He has taken them to another level.’ In his debut season in Glasgow, Rodgers clinched the league title with eight games to spare, and won the League Cup in November. Still undefeated in the league, an Invincible campaign is now within their grasp. With a Scottish Cup semifinal to come against Rangers
later this month, the Northern Irishman could also lead Celtic to a fourth Treble in the club’s history. Rodgers said: ‘Every manager here wants to win the league each year. I am no different. ‘We want to dominate Scottish football, get in to the Champions League and make a mark in Europe. When the board spoke to me about a new deal, I went to London to speak to Dermot (Desmond, major shareholder) and Ian (Bankier, chairman). ‘I was honoured they felt I was doing a good job and we started to expand more upon how it could look in the future and they have been true to their word. ‘I won’t get carried away. I signed for four years at Liverpool. Then, a year into the extension, it was: “Thank you very much”. You never know what will happen. The plan is to be here four years. ‘Maybe after one or two years, the club say: “Brendan, we’ve had enough, it has been great”.’ On the subject of ten-in-a-row, Rodgers added: ‘That excites the fans. When you accumulate titles and get up to six, then of course that’s what they look towards. ‘There’s a lot of work and things could change. I just wanted to commit myself to a life I love both professionally and personally. ‘I have a special feeling here. I know exactly what the people think, from the board to the guy sat in his seat watching the game. ‘I’ve a connection with fans having been one myself. I have no notion to be anywhere else but here.’