New manager Brendan Rodgers has given a “guarantee” he will be at Celtic for the duration of his three-year deal, unless he “gets emptied before that”.
Rodgers left Celtic to the ire of some supporters midway through the 2018-19 season, having won seven out of seven trophies since 2016. He subsequently enjoyed FA Cup success with Leicester City before being sacked in April.
“As a Celtic supporter, I understood what it meant. So that was my regret, that I hurt Celtic supporters and it’s a big part of coming back,” he said.
“Hopefully in time, I can give you that feeling I gave you the first time. I don’t expect anything, but if I get that support, great.
“For those who doubt, I’ve had that all my career so I will continue to work hard and hopefully a team that plays with the commitment people will enjoy. It will just take time.
“I’ve signed for three years and I guarantee I’ll be here for three years unless I get emptied before that, as they say up here.”
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The 50-year-old Northern Irishman inherits a Celtic squad that that have won five of the past six available major Scottish trophies, including all three in 2022-23.
And Rodgers disclosed that he had “exchanged messages” with predecessor Ange Postecoglou, who left for Tottenham Hotspur in June after winning a treble, and spoken at length to John Kennedy, who will remain as his assistant.
“My whole plan was to have a year out and reset again but once I spoke to guys at the club and looked a little bit more deep into where the club was at, it was then pretty straightforward,” he said.
“The club’s in a fantastic place and it made me really excited. It wasn’t a nostalgic move but I had a amazing time when I was here but I’m here to win going forward.”
Celtic begin their season with the first match of their Scottish Premiership defence on the weekend of 5/6 August and will return to the group stage of the Champions League in September.
Rodgers on signings…
“It’s a good time to strengthen whenever you have done ever so well. It’s not going to be lots of numbers.
“Over the last couple of years they have built a squad, so it’s a case of developing that and adding quality where we can. I’m really excited with the players here because it’s s young squad and there’s still a lot of growth in that.”
Rodgers on Europe…
“We’ll look to have European football after Christmas. We all know the challenges of the Champions League. If you can get through to knockout stages, that’s a big step for a Scottish team.
“But there are competitions now, with a bit of luck and quality, it can allow you to go a long way.”
Rodgers on Rangers & Michael Beale…
“All you can do is beat the opposition that is in front of you. Michael is a coach I know from back in the day at Chelsea, and then at Liverpool, so I have known him over a period of time and he is an excellent coach.
“But my focus will clearly be on Celtic, improving us as a team will be my thought process every minute of the day.”
Rodgers on his backroom team
“I’ve always felt that coming back to here, it was going to be really important for John [Kennedy] to be here.
“He knows how I work. He knows the rhythm of my days. He’s an incredible worker, he’s a great football man, he has the respect of the players, he has respect for all the staff.”
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