It’s official. Brendan Rodgers is the new manager of Celtic, succeeding Ange Postecoglou who left for Tottenham Hotspur earlier this month.
Rodgers has signed a three-year deal with the Bhoys and returns with the intent of delivering yet more domestic success, as well as pushing the club on to reach its potential in UEFA competitions.
The 50-year-old said on his announcement, four years and four months after leaving Celtic for Leicester City: “I am really delighted to return to Celtic and I am hugely excited by this great opportunity. When I was given the privilege of being asked to join the club again, it was a very simple decision for me and my family.
“We have enjoyed some great times at Celtic before and this will be my goal again, to deliver good football, ensure we have a team we all love to watch and ultimately bring more success to our fans.
“Ange has done some brilliant work across the last two years and I will be doing all I can to maintain Celtic’s momentum as we face into all our domestic and European challenges. We have a hugely impressive and talented group of players and staff at the club, and I am really looking forward to meeting up with them all and then getting straight down to work.
“I wanted John Kennedy to be with me as we move forward. He is a very talented coach, someone I know well and respect and he will be very important to myself and our players.
“The club is in fantastic condition at all levels and I would like to thank the board for putting their trust in me to take the team forward. We will work very closely together as we strive to bring that success to our supporters. Let’s get to work!”
Brendan Rodgers has a history of success
Rodgers won seven domestic trophies from seven attempts during his first spell in charge. His first treble was famously an invincible one, too. He also qualified the club for the UEFA Champions League group stages on two occasions via the dreaded summer gauntlet, finishing third in the 2017/18 group to progress in the UEFA Europa League. In 2018/19, the team failed to qualify for the big tournament but did finish second in a competitive Europa League group.
Success followed him to Leicester City, where he won the club’s first-ever FA Cup. He also guided them to two fifth-placed finishes in the English Premier League. The furthest Leicester reached in Europe was the semi-final of the UEFA Europa Conference League, where they lost to Jose Mourinho’s Roma. He ended up being dismissed from Leicester following a horror 2022/23 campaign, with the Foxes well on their way to relegation before Rodgers left.
It has been reported Rodgers will be the club’s highest-paid manager in history, earning more per annum than the £2.2m salary of his last Celtic contract. Significant performance bonuses are also thought to be included.
Understandably, Rodgers’ exit to Leicester in 2019 left a bitter taste in many supporters’ mouths. However, a winning, entertaining team will alleviate any ongoing concerns and nobody will be expecting him to be an icon this time around. Ultimately this decision was made to continue an unbelievable streak of dominance and the club have pushed the boat out to secure one of the best managers on the market. Good times are ahead.
In other news, F1 icon tells David Coulthard about Celtic moment that was ‘most moving in sport’.
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