BRENDAN RODGERS is BACK as Celtic manager.
The 50-year-old has completed his incredible return to Parkhead to succeed Ange Postecoglou as Celtic boss.
The club confirmed the news today following several rounds of talks with the Northern Irishman after the Aussie gaffer left Celtic for Tottenham earlier this month.
Rodgers will now embark on his second stint as Hoops manager following his initial spell as boss between 2016 and 2019, after agreeing to terms on a bumper contract that will run for three years.
A Celtic statement read: “Celtic Football Club is delighted to announce that Brendan Rodgers has been appointed the club’s new Football Manager on a three-year contract.
“Brendan previously managed the club to phenomenal success, winning consecutive domestic Trebles and in addition delivering the most famous of Invincible seasons.
“In recent years, Brendan has led Leicester City to victory in the FA Cup for the first time in their history, also achieving fifth position in the English Premier League on two occasions.
“Brendan has also held managerial positions at Liverpool, Swansea City, Watford and Reading.
“We are also pleased to confirm that John Kennedy, who has served the club over many years in a playing and coaching capacity, will support Brendan as the club’s Assistant Manager, along with first-team coaches Stevie Woods, Gavin Strachan and Harry Kewell, and B Team coaches Stephen McManus and Darren O’Dea.”
And Rodgers told the Celtic website: “I am really delighted to return to Celtic and I am hugely excited by this great opportunity. When I was given the privilege of being asked to join the club again, it was a very simple decision for me and my family.
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“We have enjoyed some great times at Celtic before and this will be my goal again, to deliver good football, ensure we have a team we all love to watch and ultimately bring more success to our fans.
“Ange has done some brilliant work across the last two years and I will be doing all I can to maintain Celtic’s momentum as we face into all our domestic and European challenges.
“We have a hugely impressive and talented group of players and staff at the club, and I am really looking forward to meeting up with them all and then getting straight down to work.
“I wanted John to be with me as we move forward. He is a very talented coach, someone I know well and respect and he will be very important to myself and our players.
“The club is in fantastic condition at all levels and I would like to thank the board for putting their trust in me to take the team forward. We will work very closely together as we strive to bring that success to our supporters.
“Let’s get to work!”
Parkhead chief executive Michael Nicholson added: “We are delighted to welcome Brendan as our new manager. He is a football manager of real quality and experience, with an established track record of delivering success.
“The role of Celtic manager is attractive and highly-sought after, and in the process we considered many potential candidates. In appointing Brendan, we are confident that we have identified the best candidate for Celtic.
“Having spoken to Brendan and discussed the club’s strategy and objectives with him, I can see the passion he has for taking the club forward positively and building on what we have achieved.
“We look forward to working together to deliver growth and success for Celtic and our supporters.”
And chairman Peter Lawwell said: “Through the process of identifying the new Celtic manager, it was clear that Brendan was the outstanding choice and we are absolutely delighted that we have appointed him on a long-term contract.
“We wanted a proven winner and that’s what Brendan is, and myself and everyone else at the club look forward to working with him again to continue to drive Celtic forward.
“He is someone who knows the club so well and has experience of the huge challenges at Celtic, domestically and in Europe. Brendan is well aware of what it takes to succeed in this role and we know he is delighted to be back with us.
“Brendan is a top-quality Manager. He has delivered before for Celtic and we are sure through his many qualities, he will do so again.”
Dermot Desmond, Celtic’s principal shareholder added: “Our aim at Celtic will always be to bring individuals of the highest calibre to the club to achieve our objectives, and in appointing Brendan we believe we have again brought that quality to the club.
“Brendan is a very talented manager, he has huge experience at the highest levels and is a man who knows how to win and do so in style. As we enter another exciting period for the club I am sure he will tackle the opportunities ahead with his characteristic focus, drive and determination.
“We have all enjoyed great success across recent years, Brendan himself being a huge part of that. I know Brendan is determined to deliver again for our supporters and collectively, the board, management, players and staff will support him in this aim.”
The former Liverpool and Swansea boss quit Parkhead in February 2019 to head for Leicester City and spent four years at the King Power Stadium, winning the FA Cup before he was axed in April this year.
His decision to leave the Scottish champions during the 2018/19 campaign sparked outrage from the Celtic support despite his trophy-laden stint in Glasgow.
He lifted seven trophies in his first remarkable spell in Scotland, including back-to-back Trebles and an Invincible campaign in his first season.
Now the manager will return to continue the team’s success after Postecoglou helped secure a world record eighth domestic clean sweep following their Scottish Cup final triumph over Inverness Caley Thistle.
It was the Aussie’s last match in charge of the club before heading down south and Rodgers will now take the reigns with Champions League football guaranteed next season.
The Hoops hierarchy discussed the vacancy with a number of candidates before putting their full focus towards the ex-Liverpool boss.
Rodgers hosted chief executive Michael Nicholson at his Spanish holiday home for face-to-face talks, with Celtic supremo Dermont Desmond holding his own high-level negotiations.
Rodgers was previously the highest earning manager in the club’s history after signing a £2.2million a year deal and it’s understood he has been guaranteed a deal worth more than that for his second stint.
He planned a sabbatical from football after his Leicester axe in April and turned down two Premier League job offers following that dismissal.
But the opportunity to manage the Hoops again has proved to be too big a job to turn down and he will be tasked with continuing the club’s domestic success and improving their results in Europe.
He was originally wary of the reaction of supporters to the possibility of him coming back, with many still disgusted by the way he left the club mid-season to head back south.
It’s clear that there are still plenty ready to welcome him back to Parkhead though due to of his previous success at the club.
It’s understood that he’s been given a significant summer transfer budget to put his stamp on Postecoglou’s talented squad.
Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
