‘Determined to succeed’ – Brendan Rodgers denies Celtic exit rumours amid contract uncertainty
Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers has vehemently denied rumours that he wants to leave Celtic after an unnamed source within the club accused him of trying to force an exit after their transfer window struggles.
Brendan Rodgers is two years into his second spell as Celtic manager after he previously led the club to successive Scottish Premiership titles during his first spell in charge between 2016 and 2019.
The Hoops have also enjoyed back-to-back league triumphs in the last two campaigns under his guidance, but their ability to make waves in European football has been questioned this season after Celtic recently crashed out of Champions League qualifying to underdogs Kairat Almaty.
Fans have voiced their displeasure at the club’s recent lack of transfer activity with chants of “sack the board” throughout numerous games while the window was still open, while Celtic supporters were seriously unhappy at a statement from the chiefs last week that aimed to explain the reasoning behind their dealings throughout the window.
The Scottish Sun recently reported that a source inside Celtic had suggested that senior figures at Parkhead are concerned that Rodgers is trying to engineer his exit amid disagreements over transfers, but he has now hit out at those claims with a fiery response about his commitment to club.
Brendan Rodgers calls Celtic mole ‘cowardly’ and insists he remains focused to succeed
Rodgers spoke to the media on Friday (12 September) ahead of his side’s trip to Kilmarnock on Sunday (14 September), and was asked about his thoughts around reports from inside the club that he was trying to force a departure.
The Northern Irish boss replied: “My honest take? I thought it was a cowardly action by whoever it is. It’s not something that you would want, and certainly my relationships with the guys here within the board, I would struggle to understand the why…since I came back, or came here first in 2016, all I have tried to do is drive the club forward.
“Was I surprised by it? Not really. I was briefed upon in my first time here, when I left and now since I’ve come back. But I am thick skinned. It’s because I want to do so well here, I’m determined to do so well.
He also backed up how he feels the club has progressed during his tenure as boss, while insisting that he wants to remain at the club, saying: “If you speak to any of my staff here, speak to players, they know all I do is give everything for them. I respect them. Most of them will have got new contracts in my times here, staff will have had new deals and increased their wages.
“Okay, if there’s something to nit pick, I would say it’s my drive to make Celtic the very best it can be, but all within, not unrealistically, not Premier League money, not millions and millions and millions.
“If you look at what I have spent to what has come in, that will also tell you. It’s disappointing when it comes out and like I said, it’s a cowardly action. But it just makes me even more determined to succeed here.
“I would love to stay here longer. I’ve had informal chats with Dermot [Desmond, the majority shareholder] and Michael [Nicholson, chief executive]. I haven’t had an offer yet to think over and until that comes then I’m not going to be so arrogant to say, ‘yeah, I want to be here for another three years’. The club might not want me here.”
Rodgers has certainly made a stand against reports linking him to an exit of his own doing, but it is no secret that he was left unimpressed at the club’s summer business.
Celtic board have themselves to blame if Rodgers does leave
Football Insider revealed on 2 September that Rodgers was unhappy with the Celtic board after a striker problem emerged at the club and they were left scrambling to secure the signature of free agent Kelechi Iheanacho.
After the board released a poorly-received statement addressing fans’ concerns around transfers last week, The Herald went on to report that Celtic should have had around £100million in the bank for the summer window based off last year’s revenue figures, yet they only spent around £13m on new players.
Hoops legend Chris Sutton has backed Rodgers to publicly state his intention to stay or leave, and while he did not explicitly do this in Friday’s presser, it certainly seems like he implied that he is happy to remain at Parkhead despite potential disagreements.
No matter what the thoughts are of each party, some genuine clarity definitely needs to be provided soon, whether that is Rodgers stating his intention to depart at the end of the season or being handed a new contract, as then Celtic can move on and focus on the real task at hand, which is winning the league once again.