BERTIE AULD has told Brendan Rodgers that he’ll never get another club like Celtic. And he’ll never again experience a support like the one that backed him 100% in his time as our manager.
But the Lisbon Lions reckons that Rodgers, who this evening will be officially announced as the Leicester City manager, should be allowed to leave with no hard feelings.
Rodgers informed the shocked Celtic players late yesterday afternoon of his decision to quit Paradise.
Leicester City had advised Celtic that they would meet the exit clause in Rodgers’ contract, meaning that the Premier League club would be writing a cheque for over £6million. This triggered the released clause Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic contract which has just over two years left to run.
Celtic therefore had no alternative but to allow Rodgers the chance to speak to Leicester and he travelled down to the East Midlands for talks, which have been on-going all day.
News has emerged on Sky Sports that Rodgers has verbally agreed to accept the Leicester City job while up the road Peter Lawwell has been to Lennoxtown today to speak to the players and has also spoken to front runner Neil Lennon plus two other candidates, who are essentially back-up options should Lennon be unable or unwilling to take up the Interim Manager’s role until the season end.
Assuming things go well the job will be his on a permanent basis.
Steve Clarke, the Kilmarnock manger has we understand NOT been spoken to today by Celtic.
Now, while digesting all of that, Bertie Auld is fairly philosophical about the changing of the guard in The Celtic manager’s office.
“The thing is, these things happen in football. Brendan has done a marvellous job there and everyone appreciates what he’s done,” the Lisbon Lion told the media.
“If he thinks that’s a better move then it’s his lifestyle and his livelihood. I think if you have a look at him, he’s done extremely well and he’s enjoyed it here and so have we. If he thinks it’s time to move on then that’s his decision.
“His name was linked with every club that had no manager because he has been a great manager, he’s been a good manager. But I’ll tell you one thing, it doesn’t matter where he goes to, and I mean anywhere, he’ll never get a club like Celtic or a support.
“He’ll never get a bigger club than what he’s at now.
“Financially it must be a good move for him.
“He had a group of players that really loved him, he had a training ground that’s second to none but maybe it’s a new challenge he’s looking for.
“But he’ll know all about it when he walks out to the terraces. Everyone gave him all the encouragement he needed. That support was outstanding with him.
“Doesn’t matter where he goes anywhere in the world, he won’t get a support like that.”
And Bertie has no fears about Neil Lennon taking over at Celtic for the second time.
“Neil knows what it is, he was a good manager as well. He had a tremendous attitude with the supporters which is important because the Celtic supporters are there because it’s a family business.
“Neil’s a Celtic supporter himself and I think he adored it. He knows what like it is for Celtic on the pitch and in the terraces.
“Neil was in the dugout and if he wasn’t in the dugout he’d have been in the stands.”
