Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic resignation came as a shock to everyone at the club.
The 52-year-old called time on his Hoops spell just months into the final year of his three-year contract, which he had vowed to honour.
But for whatever reason, it didn’t work out that way. Dermot Desmond’s scathing statement certainly made his interpretation of the situation clear.
But with Martin O’Neill replacing Rodgers on an interim basis, it will no doubt have been a shock for the players, many of whom had been signed by Rodgers. (Or were they?)
Hoops captain Callum McGregor was especially close to Rodgers, and has spoken for the first time about his shock departure.
Callum McGregor on Brendan Rodgers chat after Celtic departure
As things stand, we only know half of the story that led to the stunning news on Monday.
But it has been reported that Rodgers is preparing a statement through the League Managers’ Association, in a response to Desmond.
READ MORE: Barry Ferguson makes Martin O’Neill stance clear as Celtic critics ‘need their head looked at’
Speaking ahead of the Hoops’ crucial Premier Sports Cup semi-final against Rangers, McGregor discussed the conversation he had with Rodgers after his resignation.
He said: “Yeah, I just found out, the same as everyone else. I spoke to the manager maybe ten, fifteen minutes after it.
“We had a chat, which will stay private for obvious reasons. So everyone was in the same boat. Yeah, it’s a shock at the time, and then very quickly you’re five minutes from going to bed.
“And then you’ve got to deal with the aftermath of that. I spoke to some of the players, and then we came back in on Tuesday. And then like I say, it’s business as usual.
“You’ve got a game of football to play the next day, and it’s about preparing the team and preparing the players to win that, which was a must-win.”
The game kicks off at 2PM on Sunday at Hampden, and will be live on Premier Sports.
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