Brendan Rodgers explains his original Celtic exit plan

By David Walton

May 16, 2022

Brendan Rodgers has revealed that he originally planned to leave Celtic at the end of the 2018/19 season before Leicester City came calling.

Rodgers has been addressing his controversial Parkhead exit of 2019 that still leaves a bitter taste in Celtic’s mouth. It came in the midst of an intense title-race and so very easily could’ve seen us lose the championship.

Not to mention Rodgers took his entire backroom staff with him to the King Power Stadium too. Leaving on the same day as a massive away clash against Hearts also didn’t sit right with supporters.

He’s been discussing his departure with the Belfast Telegraph as he admitted he will always cherish his Celtic Park memories:

“The original plan was to stay until the end of the season but then it changes and I made the decision to leave Celtic in what I felt was a really strong position. I felt the club was in a really good position from a football perspective, financial perspective and a winning perspective. So, yeah then it was on to the next step.

“Obviously there was a lot said within Celtic, outside of Celtic and media but I’ll never let that ever diminish the amazing time I had there because for me it is all about the feeling. I understand Celtic people and supporters when I left. I totally get that because a loss of anything there is always sadness and anger and I totally get that and how I left it was the probably the shock element of it.

“I look back and think more of the amazing time I had not just on the pitch but off the pitch and the support I had and the friends we made. Living in Glasgow was an amazing experience. We travel up when we can and the experience will never be tainted by anything else.”

Brendan Rodgers Celtic exit won’t ever fully heal

Time has certainly led supporters to be less bitter about his departure than we previously were. But even so, we can’t plausibly say that things have fully healed. That won’t ever happen in truth.

Rodgers is able to show his face around Celtic Park these days of course. He’s been up watching games in the past and appears to be able to do so without much fuss. So it’s clear there isn’t that same level of venom towards him.

But the nature of his departure can’t ever be forgotten. He still left us at a crucial period of the season and at the first flutter of an EPL club’s eye.

Rodgers always maintained that he loved life during his Celtic days. Always made it come across as if he had been there and done it where the EPL was concerned. That’s what made it all the more frustrating that he left so abruptly.

If his plan was to depart at the end of the season, the general consensus is that that’s exactly what he should’ve done. He should’ve seen the title through and then looked for fresh opportunities. Had he done so, he would’ve been lauded and appreciated more by the Celtic faithful.

Time has healed some of the wounds. But there still remain some cuts that are just too deep to mend.

In other news, Ange Postecoglou outlines one of Celtic’s biggest transfer priorities this summer