BRENDAN RODGERS has revealed that some members of his family haven’t spoken to him since the Irishman traded Celtic for Leicester in February last year. The ex-Liverpool manager spoke to the Beautiful Game podcast and discussed how much he enjoyed managing Celtic, the club he supports.

Whilst Rodgers was a Celtic supporter, he took the decision from an unsentimental view and decided to chase the riches of the English Premier League. This decision left some family members ‘distraught’, as the Celtic support saw Rodgers depart very quickly days before a crucial trip to Tynecastle.

“When you have to make decisions, you have to be unsentimental.

“I had family who were just distraught I left Celtic, just couldn’t believe it.

“I have relations that haven’t spoken to me since the day I left Celtic.

“Because it meant so much to them and if you carry on like that too much you’ll never do anything.”

Rodgers, who won seven trophies in two and a half years, left the Scottish Champions under a cloud as Lennon came in to win the Treble Treble. Whilst Rodgers’ record at Celtic was incredible, his reputation was damaged due to the manner in which he left.

Rodgers looks back fondly on his time in Glasgow, even if the acrimonious split in February 2019 tarnished his name amongst the Celtic supporters. The decision he made was from a personal viewpoint, taking away the emotion of being a Celtic supporter. However, he could have waited until after the trip to Tynecastle as the move to mid-table Leicester wasn’t urgent whilst Celtic’s title push was.

“I had some unforgettable memories at Celtic that will live with me for a lifetime, that I still think about now and I then came into my next experience.

“For me, I left school with nothing. No qualifications, no nothing – my life has been based on experiences, hence the reason why I look for the experiences.

“And this, I felt, from a sporting perspective was going to be the next good experience.”

The decision by Rodgers has been vindicated with Leicester sitting in the Champions League places whilst Celtic sealed 9IAR under Neil Lennon. Time may help Rodgers’ Celtic legacy but the way he left was shocking, which many supporters may forgive but will struggle to forget.