I’M HERE TO STAY
Rodgers says only an ‘extraordinary’ offer would tempt him to leave Celtic
BRENDAN RODGERS insisted only ‘something extraordinary’ would tempt him to leave Celtic as he stressed, amid links with the Arsenal job, his full intention to see out the remaining three years on his Parkhead contract.
Speaking after his side lost at Hibernian to set up a potential title decider against Rangers next weekend, the Celtic manager addressed his position in the whirl of speculation over Arsene Wenger’s replacement at the Emirates this summer.
When asked if an approach was something he would consider, Rodgers replied: ‘I would always speak to the board. It will take something extraordinary to take me
away from here. I signed last summer, I came in on a year’s deal. The club offered me four years and I was happy to sign that.
‘After this season, I have three more years and I will be so happy if I can see those three years out. Because I love working here and I love the whole process of developing players, winning games and seeing the club progress. With this job, I have a lot to do here.’
Celtic’s major shareholder Dermot Desmond said that Rodgers would have his blessing to speak to Arsenal if the Scottish champions were contacted over their manager’s availability.
‘I’ve got a great relationship since I met Dermot’, continued the Parkhead boss. ‘He and the board have got a really high level of intellect, they are clever guys and we speak a lot. It’s very open, very honest and that’s how it should be.
‘I’ve always said that I’m living my dream here and, like they all do, it will end and I’ll go back into the real world again. I’m obviously privileged to be here as the manager of Celtic.
‘This is a huge club with big demands and I want to help the club grow and develop. In order to do that, it’s about happiness.
‘There will be somewhere I can go and maybe earn two or three times more money than where I am now. But it’s not about that.
‘Naturally, there will be speculation because Arsene has said he’s leaving and my name has been thrown in. But for me it’s not a consideration, my only focus is wrapping up the league title here and then moving onto the Scottish Cup final.’
Celtic winger James Forrest spoke for a deflated away dressing room at Easter Road while explaining the appetite among the players to keep working with their manager.
‘The gaffer has been incredible since he’s come in, with what he has done for the club,’ said Forrest.
‘If players and managers do well, they will always get linked, but it’s good that we have him as our manager. But obviously nobody wants him to go.
‘You don’t get linked with a job that size unless you are doing well, but we want him to stay here and push on. Hopefully that happens.’
The SPFL and Police Scotland had been at pains to try to avoid Celtic clinching the title against Rangers but that now looks likely.
‘Hopefully we can win the league next week,’ continued Forrest.
‘This defeat is gone now and it would be tremendous to now go and do it in front of our own fans.’
Rodgers agreed that Lennon’s Hibs were the better outfit, saying: ‘Sometimes you just have to take your medicine and congratulate Hibs, then look to the next game.’