Brendan Rodgers: I’m here again to win
In the summer of 2016, Brendan Rodgers first walked through the doors of Paradise as Celtic manager and his opening task was to lift the first silverware available to create a bit of club history – it would be the Hoops’ 100th major trophy. A few months later on November 27 of that year, that first task was completed, and the Irishman’s first trophy of his managerial career wasn’t only the club’s 100th, it was the springboard to an unparalleled Invincible Treble. And when his Celtic team followed that up with a legendary back-to-back Treble success 12 months later, Brendan Rodgers created a second special piece of history that would forever mark his first time in charge at Celtic Park. Now, the man who steered the club on that path to glory is back at the helm and aiming to increase the silverware tally even more after leading the club to seven out of seven domestic trophy wins in his first period in charge of Celtic.
Brendan Rodgers told Celtic TV: “I’m very proud and obviously very happy to be here, I want to say a massive thank you to Dermot and the board for taking me back, and everything feels so natural, I’m really pleased. The nostalgia is great, but it’s the past and hopefully from that period, what we achieved is set in concrete and will always be there. But I’m here again to win, and look forward, and continue with that mentality, and to look to see if we can do something in Europe. But there’s no doubt that happiness of being here played a huge part both professionally and personally. From a football perspective, we achieved and created history while I was here and the aim will be to continue with that mentality going forward. But also outside of the field, my family and everyone associated with me had great happiness of their time here, so that made it pretty straightforward in terms of wanting to come back. Our life outside of football was incredible, and Scotland and Glasgow was amazing for us. So from a professional perspective and from a personal perspective there was a real happiness for us to come back.”
The manager added: “It will be the first job that I’ve come into where the team and club is on a high. When I’ve gone into previous roles, it’s been different situations. So I think Ange has done a fantastic job here over the last couple of years, culminating in finishing with the Treble. It’s a fantastic achievement. What you have is a young hungry squad who, if they keep that mentality, then they can continue to achieve. And I think Europe is always a big factor for this club. Can we develop the team to do something in Europe? Domestic football is always important, it’s the bread and butter, being dominant here in Scotland, but, of course, it’s transferring that into Europe and seeing if we can achieve something in there.”
Hoops fans know the brand of football that Brendan Rodgers delivered before, and the success it brought, and it looks like they can expect more of the same stylish, attacking football this time around as well.
The manager added: “What my commitment has always been is to attacking, aggressive football. In my last time here we were able to achieve that, especially playing so many games. So I think my commitment is always to be an attacking team, to be an aggressive team and to be a winning team. That’s always the promise I make.”
And in the middle of all that, helping to turn defence into attack will be Callum McGregor – a hero of that magnificent run of trophies under the Irishman the first time around.
Brendan Rodgers said: “He was pivotal back then, just seeing a young player develop. I’ve obviously seen him when I left and just seeing him continue to make that growth was really pleasing. And I have to say he was a big part of my decision to come back as well, because I had a lunch with him for a few hours in Majorca, and just understanding the squad and where it was at and what he felt the club was at, he gave me some great feedback that the group is hungry, it’s young and ready to keep pushing forward. And for me Callum’s an absolutely brilliant player on the pitch, his brain, his view of the game is right up there with the very, very best I’ve ever worked with. He’s robust, he plays many games, he’s the ultimate professional, but within that he has a great humility. So I’m absolutely delighted that coming back here, he’s the club captain."
Celtic TV - First Interview and Full Media Conference with new Manager Brendan Rodgers
18. SPL Spieltag
29.12.2024 16 Uhr DZ
Celtic Park
Celtic FC - Johnstone
29.12.2024 16 Uhr DZ
Celtic Park
Celtic FC - Johnstone
