CELTIC’S Easter Road goal hero James Forrest revealed that he received a telephone call from former manager Rodgers a few days after the he left for Leicester without a backward glance.
“He phoned me on Thursday night and for me he has been really good over the past couple of years,” Jamesy said.
“I will always remember what he did for me. It was good that he contacted me, he has put so much into the club over that time. But he has a new job now and we need to get on with ours too.
“It was pretty hectic. Everything happened within 24 hours. Previously I’d known managers to leave at the end of the season so it was different. The boys did well to cope with it on Wednesday.
“Everybody was here on Monday. We had heard wee rumours on the Monday night and Tuesday morning and then it happened. But I think maybe because of how well we have done over the past couple of years it was bigger than it might otherwise have been. Celtic being a massive club too it’s big news, his profile too.
“When I woke up on Tuesday it seemed as if everything had moved forward. On the way into training it was done. I had no inkling on the Monday. We had played on Sunday so the ones who played were in doing recovery.
“He must have been speaking to the boys out on the training pitch but all we heard were the wee rumours on the Monday. I have spoken to him since.
“I’m not sure if he has been phoning round all the guys. It’s been a bit mental, we’ve had a game and so have Leicester. Sometimes in football things can happen so fast. I think everyone would like to have said bye but it can’t always be like that.
“Because it has been so good over the past couple of years and he has done so well for me, the team and for Scottish football I was gutted. It was strange because we had two huge games in the league and the cup, two huge games in terms of our season.
“But I think the club handled it really well by getting the manager in so quick. We still have John Kennedy so we’ve kept everything the same and it’s been a case of trying to settle everyone down.
“Maybe once it settles down everyone will think of how good it’s been.
“We didn’t go into any of that too much. Things can change quickly in football. I think that’s a hard one. Once it settles down people will think it’s seven trophies out of seven.
“When he took over the club was kind of not in the best state and now it’s looking really good and positive.
“Maybe in time…but the games are coming thick and fast and we just need to concentrate on them.
“When he was here it was always game at a time.
“It was always about what came next, not looking too far in front. That message stays the same, we have a lot to prepare for.”
