Celtic appoint Brendan Rodgers as new manager
/dnl.eurosport.com/sd/img/placeholder/eurosport_logo_1x1.png){kind=logo}
ByEurosport
Updated 20/05/2016 at 17:54 GMT
Scottish champions Celtic have appointed the former Liverpool coach Brendan Rodgers as their new manager.
Brendan Rodgers is back in football as manager of Celtic.
Image credit: Eurosport
The Northern Irishman was sacked by the Merseyside club last October and replaced by Jurgen Klopp after a mediocre start to the season and winning only one of their previous nine games in the Premier League.
But he is back in football as manager of the former European champions and, according to media reports, he will become the highest-paid manager in Scottish football history with a salary of £1.5m touted and around £15m to spend on new players.
He becomes only the 18th manager in the Glasgow club's 128-year history and will be paraded to the fans on Monday.
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2013/10/31/1119093-18500880-2560-1440.jpg)
Celtic Park (PA Photos)
Image credit: PA Sport
"I am absolutely delighted to be named Celtic manager," said Rodgers speaking to the Glasgow club's official website. "This is genuinely a huge honour for me. I have followed Celtic all my life and to be given this fantastic opportunity and to be part of such a truly great football club is a dream come true.
"I will give my new role everything I have and do all I can to bring our supporters exciting, entertaining and winning football.
"The Club has been in magnificent shape in recent years and has collected silverware regularly during this time. My objective now, of course, is to continue this work, to keep us at the top and again make our mark in Europe.
I know what a magnificent support Celtic enjoys and I can promise our fans one thing - that I will be doing everything I can to give you a team that you can be proud of and a team that delivers.
"I can't wait to be in Paradise with our team and our fans as we all get to work."
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2014/07/17/1280362-27599904-2560-1440.jpg)
Brendan Rodgers and Luis Suarez
Image credit: Reuters
Rodgers, who started life as a manager with Watford and Reading, spent three years as Liverpool boss after leading Swansea from the Championship to the Premier League in 2012.
His three-year spell at Anfield is best remembered for almost leading Liverpool to their first English title since 1990 two years ago when a Steven Gerrard slip in a 2-0 defeat to Chelsea saw them denied at the death by Manchester City, who won the trophy by two points.
He won the Premier League manager of the year award as Liverpool scored a whopping 101 goals in 2013/14, their highest return in over a century, and was rewarded with a four-year contract, but the departure of Luis Suarez to Barcelona after the 2014 World Cup finals damaged Liverpool the following season as they struggled for consistency in finishing sixth.
Celtic have just won their fifth straight Scottish Premiership title under managers Neil Lennon and the departing Norwegian coach Ronny Deila, but the appointment of Rodgers represents Celtic's biggest managerial hiring since Rodgers' fellow Northern Irishman Martin O'Neill left Leicester City for Celtic Park in 2000.
Celtic owner Dermot Desmond heaped praise on the 43-year-old during an interview on Wednesday.
He's a great manager. He's proved it at Liverpool and I think he's a worthy candidate for Celtic - as all the other candidates are.
Norwegian coach Deila departed the post after winning back-to-back Scottish titles over the past two seasons, but failure to quality for the Champions League and a poor Europa League campaign before Christmas cost him the job.
Rodgers faces a huge first task as Celtic manager as the club bid to negotiate three Champions League qualifying rounds over July and August to reach the group stage of Europe's top tournament for the first time since 2013.
There is also the challenge of beating Glasgow rivals Rangers, who are back in Scotland's top division after a four-year absence following liquidation, to win a sixth straight Scottish title.
"Brendan is a highly-sought after manager and we are pleased that we have been able to bring such a high calibre individual to Celtic," said Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell.
He has a huge and genuine affection for the Club. I know Brendan feels privileged to be named Celtic manager and I know he will give us everything he has to be successful at Celtic.
Above all, he will bring huge experience, knowledge and ability to the role.
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2016/05/15/1855541-39108031-2560-1440.jpg)
Ronny Deila ended his two-year stint as Celtic manager with a 7-0 rout of Motherwell.
Image credit: Eurosport
"We wanted to bring one of the biggest and best names to the club to match our own aspirations and those of our supporters - we believe, in appointing Brendan, that we have done this.
"We have appointed a special manager and we are sure he can bring some special times to Celtic."
A number of figures were linked and interview for the position in a high calibre short-list including David Moyes, Roy Keane, Neil Lennon and Malky Mackay.
Rodgers is a self-confessed boyhood Celtic fan and last week described them as one of the world's most "iconic clubs".
"Well, it's an incredible club, a club that family and everyone supports," said Rodgers. "Obviously the league isn't so competitive, but Celtic are one of the great iconic clubs in the world, a huge club."
Scan me
Related Topics
Share this article
Advertisement
Advertisement