Eddie Howe has spoken to former manager Brendan Rodgers before agreeing to become the new Celtic manager. Howe remains the clear favourite but despite rumours and reports that the 43-year-old was due to be confirmed as manager a few weeks ago, the appointment announcement has stalled.
However, yesterday, it was reported by Daily Record that Howe was seeking the opinion of Rodgers, who he has a close relationship with – something that could swing us towards the highly-rated former Bournemouth manager.
What hasn’t been reported is Eddie Howe previous comments on his relationship with Brendan Rodgers, from an interview he gave to The Coaches’ Voice in 2020.
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Here’s a flavour of what Eddie Howe had to say about Brendan Rodgers:
“The Brendan story goes back to Burnley, I think we were in different leagues, they’d been promoted to the Premier League and we at Burnley were in the Championship and I think I just asked him if I could come and watch you work. We met after a game the previous season and got on really well.
“He was brilliant, he was absolutely superb with me. He invited me down and I spent a couple of days with him and he was very generous with his time.
“We shared a few stories and I am forever grateful for that because you need people to help you along the way. It is a tough, lonely job at times and Brendan was brilliant.
“I think I watched the training sessions but it was more the time he gave me afterwards, the personal time, he seemed keen to help me and it was that plus a little bit of tactical discussion about how he does things and how they work, all these kind of things are very important. He opened up to me and told me what they do.”
After eight years with Bournemouth, Howe left the Cherries with plenty of goodwill having continued to punch above the weight of the small, costal club against the financial might of the Premier League. Howe’s stock in England is still high but Celtic look to have convinced him of the project that is underway in Glasgow with a new footballing operations ongoing.
Perhaps Brendan Rodgers could redeem himself in the eyes of some supporters if he can help his old club land Howe in the coming weeks. If the former Cherries boss as good a manager for Celtic as Rodgers was, we could have a successful few seasons to look forward to.
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So far there has been no announcement of Howe coming to Celtic. This is cause for concern for an increasingly impatient Celtic support. Clearly this appointment is something that the club needs to get right and equally important is bringing in a manager who believes in and is fully committed to the project and the cause.
If Eddie Howe is the man, it is likely that he will be appointed after the current season is over.
READ THIS…A Bittersweet Day – The Title is Won but Brother Walfrid, Celtic’s Founding Father is Gone
- Read more on Celtic’s founding fathers, early stars and first ever season in The Celtic Star’s best-seller Walfrid & The Bould Bhoys. We have very few copies of this book remaining – already into our last box – so if you want to order a copy just click on the image below. Liam Kelly writes the section on the Founding Fathers, David Potter cover the Early Celtic Stars while Matt Corr takes us though that crucial first season in the life of Celtic Football Club.
🍲🍀 Please get behind @FoundationCFC‘s Brother Walfrid Virtual Community Lunch and help support our friends in the homeless community 👇#FootballForGood 💚
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) April 17, 2021
