Manager

Celtic appointed Brendan Rodgers as the club’s latest manager in June 2023 to replace Ange Postecoglou. The Northern Irishman returned to Glasgow with an initial three-year contract.

Bhoys chiefs opted to appoint Rodgers as their head coach again after Postecoglou accepted an offer to take over Tottenham Hotspur. He had previously stood at the helm between 2016 and 2019. He further led the Hoops to seven titles, as well as their centurions season in 16/17.

Rodgers also left his role at Celtic Park to take over a Premier League team in February 2019. Leicester City paid the Bhoys £6m in compensation to appoint the tactician, who would lead the Foxes to their first-ever FA Cup title in 2020/21. They beat Chelsea 1-0 in that year’s final.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers’ past coaching career

Celtic manager Rodgers began his coaching career back in 1994 having immediately headed into the dugout upon retiring as a player. His CV has since gone on to feature seven different teams and nine roles. While the Northern Irishman has also sealed a smattering of trophies.

Reading afforded Rodgers his first role in coaching with a position in their youth set-up. His commitment and sacrifices for the job would ultimately be rewarded with the role of head of youth development, as well. It also led to a decade-long bond between him and Reading.

Chelsea eventually broke Rodgers’ relationship with Reading in 2004 as the Blues targeted a new coach for their under-18 side. His work with their academy team would eventually yield a promotion in 2006 when the tactician took charge of the west London outfit’s reserve team.

Watford brought Brendan Rodgers into the senior game in 2008

Another two years followed for Rodgers in Chelsea’s academy with their reserves before he landed his first senior position. Watford looked kindly on his record as the Hornets chased a new head coach in November 2008 having parted with Aidy Boothroyd early in the season.

Rodgers guided Watford to a mid-table finish after taking over with the club fighting to avoid relegation from the Championship. Yet he left Vicarage Road just two weeks after the end of the season to return to Reading. The Royals sought his return to replace his ex-boss, Steve Coppell.

But Rodgers would not enjoy the homecoming that he would have hoped for at the Madejski Stadium. Reading agreed to part ways with Rodgers in December 2009 with the club 21st in the Championship table. The Royals had also only won one of their 11 home league fixtures.

Brendan Rodgers honed his style with Swansea City

Losing his job in Berkshire left Rodgers out of the game for the rest of the season. He would not take up another position until July 2010 when Swansea City got on the phone. But it was in south Wales where he finally delivered and refined his style of possession-based football.

The Jacks only needed one season under Rodgers to seal promotion into the Premier League via the Championship play-offs. Swansea had not played in the English top-flight since 1983. Yet they ended the 2011/12 campaign in 11th to see Rodgers leave and take over Liverpool.

Liverpool were enduring a dire period at the start of the 2010s and turned to Rodgers after finishing the 2011/12 campaign in eighth. He would not deliver instant success, however, as the Anfield outfit only slightly improved to end his debut season on Merseyside in seventh place.

Liverpool leaped into a Premier League title challenge

Yet having had a season to implement his style, Rodgers turned Liverpool’s fortunes around in 2013/14 to challenge for the Premier League title. His Reds squad should, arguably, have won the title that term, too. But they missed out on the crown to Manchester City by just two points.

Unfortunately for Rodgers and Liverpool, the Northern Irishman failed to build on a runners-up finish and the Reds regressed. Anfield chiefs would ultimately sack him in October 2015 and appointed Jurgen Klopp. Rodgers would also remain out of work until the following summer.

Celtic looked fondly on Rodgers’ availability in 2016 as the Bhoys sought a new manager to replace Ronny Deila. He would take the Bhoys to a domestic treble in the tactician’s debut season in Glasgow. His Hoops squad also took 106 points in the 2016/17 Premiership term.

Brendan Rodgers’ first spell as Celtic’s manager delivered dominance

Rodgers’ continued dominance at Celtic Park would see Leicester lure him back to England, though. The Foxes sought to hire the Hoops’ all-conquering coach with the club 11th in the table. They would end the term in ninth before becoming a threat to England’s usual big six.

Leicester enjoyed back-to-back fifth-place finishes under Rodgers in 2019/20 and 2020/21. He also coupled their efforts with a run to the Europa League Round of 32 during 2020/21 before overseeing the Foxes’ first-ever FA Cup title. Yet results began to fade in the 2021/22 campaign.

The King Power Stadium side fell to eighth in 2021/22 despite starting the season by beating Manchester City in the Community Shield. Results also failed to improve in 2022/23, despite his star-studded squad in the East Midlands, leading Leicester to sack Rodgers in April 2023.

Leicester felt the time had come to part with Rodgers after a fifth defeat in six league games dropped them into the relegation zone. But the damage was done and Dean Smith could not guide them to safety after taking charge. They ended the Premier League campaign in 18th.

Brendan Rodgers’ coaching career

Celtic (2023-2026 expected)

Leicester City (2019-2023)

Celtic (2016-2019)

Liverpool (2012-2015)

Swansea City (2010-2012)

Reading (2009)

Watford (2008-2009)

Chelsea, reserves (2006-2008)

Chelsea, under-18s (2004-2006)

Reading, assistant (1994-2004)

Brendan Rodgers’ playing career

Rodgers only enjoyed a brief spell as a player before he embarked on a career that has twice led him to becoming Celtic’s manager. A genetic knee condition obliged the Northern Irishman to retire at just 20 years old. But he briefly continued to his career at some non-league sides.

Ballymena United afforded Rodgers his first opportunity in football with the defender’s local team bringing him through their academy system. His efforts at a young age then earned the interest of Reading for the first time in 1990. He signed for the Royals’ reserve side aged 18.

It was not to be the move that launched Rodgers’ playing career, though, as his genetic knee condition soon forced his retirement. But Reading retained Rodgers on the books as a coach.

Brendan Rodgers at Celtic

Celtic sought to appoint Rodgers as the Glasgow giants’ latest manager again in June 2023 to replace Postecoglou in recognition of the dominance he oversaw through his first stint at the helm. The Northern Irishman won every title available to him there between 2016 and 2019.

The Bhoys were the absolute dominant force in Scotland with back-to-back domestic trebles in Rodgers’ first two seasons in charge. Another domestic treble would also follow during the 2018/19 campaign, too. But Rodgers only lifted the League Cup title before joining Leicester.

Rodgers further oversaw a historic Premiership title campaign in his debut season as Celtic’s manager in 2016/17. The Hoops won the Scottish top-flight with 106 points from 38 fixtures. They further won 34 games and drew in just four whilst going the entire campaign unbeaten.

Celtic would win 118 and draw 25 of Rodgers’ 169 games in charge over his first spell as their manager. The Bhoys additionally scored 377 goals to 136 conceded across all competitions in his two-and-a-half seasons there. While six of his 26 defeats came in 98 Premiership fixtures.