Jenkins counts himself as a big believer in the Rodgers effect
ROSS JENKINS has enjoyed a storied career that has brought him to Hamilton via Crawley Town, Romania, Bulgaria and Norway.
He has met a diverse cast of characters along the way but nowhere has he encountered a manager who can match the interpersonal skills of Brendan Rodgers.
Jenkins broke through at Watford at exactly the same time Rodgers was cutting his teeth in his first senior managerial role.
He recalls the thoroughness of the match preparation, the diligent application of tactics but, most of all, the personality of the man who would go on to take charge of Swansea, Liverpool and now Celtic.
Jenkins may only have been a teenager when he played under Rodgers but, as he wound his way across Europe in search of improvement, he was grateful to retain a link of communication to his old boss.
The pair have not met up since Jenkins’ mid-season arrival in Scotland from Viking Stavanger but the 27-year-old is hoping for an opportunity when the Premiership leaders pitch up in Lanarkshire today.
‘I’m not surprised at how dominant Brendan Rodgers has been in Scotland,’ he said. ‘I worked with him at Watford and saw the work he did every day. He is one of the best coaches I have worked with technically and tactically. And his manmanagement is quality.
‘He would chat to you oneto-one just like a normal guy. You could knock on his door, pull him after training and speak to him about personal things. He was always there and very approachable but when you were out on the pitch it was time to work.
‘That’s where I think players respect him. Off the pitch he is lovely, a very nice guy. But working under him you need to deliver what he wants and he is very specific on that and how he wants it done.
‘I’ve not had a chance to catch up with him since coming to Scotland but there have been a few texts over the last couple of years with me being abroad.
‘Hopefully on Sunday we can have a little chat.’
If Rodgers adjusted to life at Celtic without missing a beat, Jenkins admits the sheer pace of the football in the Scottish top flight has caught him by surprise.
‘The style and tactics are very different here,’ he observed. ‘It’s a lot more tactical and technical abroad. Here, you get zero time on the ball, it’s quite rushed, very physical and for 90 minutes the game doesn’t settle. It’s constant.
‘Players adapt and that’s what I’m doing. I’m learning, it’s a new league but it’s still the Premiership in Scotland, so it’s a good level.’
Hamilton boss Martin Canning will send his players out to try and disrupt Celtic’s natural flow this afternoon and Jenkins knows the club’s oft-maligned playing surface will have a part to play.
He revealed: ‘I spoke to one player I know, who is at another team in the Premiership, and he says they hate coming here because of the pitch.
‘If you’re not used to it, you’re going to hate it. I played on a few out in Norway because the weather there is so bad and I hated it at first. But, once you get used to it, it’s not that bad.
‘It’s hard but when you weigh it up against a bobbly, muddy pitch, it’s a no brainer really. It’s firm but you can slick it.
‘We train on it every day, so we know what’s possible and what’s not, but we try to play.
‘I know some teams don’t like ours and hopefully Celtic are one of those.’
Hamilton have proved the Premiership’s great survivors over the past few seasons. The club may currently sit clear of the play-off spot but Jenkins has been fully appraised of what will be required over the five post-split fixtures.
He added: ‘We have to make sure we win some games — if we start looking behind us, teams will catch up.
‘I think we have enough, but we can’t stop. We can’t think we’re safe.’