Brendan Rodgers worked with some excellent young players in his first spell at Celtic.
The likes of Moussa Dembele, Stuart Armstrong and Odsonne Edouard were allowed to flourish in a dominant Celtic side, creating a strong bond with the fans.
But one of the real fan favourites of his first tenure was Patrick ‘Paddy’ Roberts. The nimble English winger was brought to the club from Manchester City during Ronny Deila’s tenure initially.
After showing flashes of brilliance in his first six months, he hit the next level after Rodgers’ arrival, and extended his loan for another year after immense clamour from the Hoops support.
His two-and-a-half years in Glasgow began almost a decade ago, but Roberts is still only 28, and now at Birmingham alongside Kyogo Furuhashi and Tomoki Iwata.
Patrick Roberts on his time at Celtic
Roberts was part of the Sunderland side which earned promotion back to the Premier League last year, but as they invested heavily in their squad, he was one of a few allowed to leave the club on loan.
His move to Birmingham has reunited him with Chris Davies, who was assistant manager during his time at Celtic.
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Roberts famously scored against Manchester City in the Champions League, whilst on loan from Pep Guardiola’s side. Speaking to Birmingham City’s website, he reflected on his Hoops spell.
He said: “I had gone out on loan to Celtic in the January just before he came in, but it was an 18-month loan, so I missed the first pre-season that he was there at City.
“But I played against City that season in the Champions League, and then from there, I was hoping that when I went back in the summer, I would maybe get a chance. But obviously, with the levels they went to, it was hard to get a look in there.
“With Celtic, people here maybe never quite understand what comes with that, but there is pressure to win every game.
“Rangers came back to the top division in my first year there, so you had the derby game, which you have to win, then there is the expectation to win the league and the cups, and to do well in the Champions League.
“Brendan Rodgers was fantastic. He was known for bringing in young players at Liverpool and then when he came into Celtic, he still looked to do that whenever he could.
“Chris Davies was there as well. He was starting out in his first assistant role, and he was great to work for. He was really good with me, and I learnt a lot from both of them and the players at Celtic.
“I really enjoyed my time there, it was some of the best football I’ve played.”
Patrick Roberts’ career since Celtic
Celtic felt like a home for Roberts, who was just 18 when he came to Glasgow. That was the one thing he struggled for in the years after.
He moved to Girona in La Liga the following year, but started just six league games across the season. Unremarkable spells at Norwich, Middlesbrough, Derby and Troyes followed – he was in desperate need of stability.
This came at Sunderland, who he helped climb from League One all the way to the Premier League.
As for Celtic, he was linked with a sensational return in 2021, reportedly entering advanced talks before Ange Postecoglou pulled the plug on the deal.
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