Brendan Rodgers has admitted he regrets the “hurt” he caused Celtic supporters when he walked out for Leicester as he “guaranteed” he will see out the duration of his three-year contract this time round – unless he is sacked first.
The Northern Irishman returned to take charge of the Parkhead club on Monday, almost four-and-a-half years after leaving for the Foxes in a move that sparked a backlash from a significant number of Hoops fans who felt betrayed that he left midway through a season when the team were chasing a treble-treble.
While many supporters have accepted Rodgers’ return to the club, the manager is hopeful he can win over those who still hold lingering resentment.
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“Listen, I understand how supporters would feel,” he said as he faced the media at Parkhead on Friday for the first time since his appointment.
“It was an emotional time, the club was going for 10 in a row and there was a lot of emotion around.
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“For the people I’ve had lots of support from since I left and now that I’ve come back, I really thank them for that. And for the people that maybe don’t want me here, hopefully I can shift their opinion with the football we play and the success we can have.”
Rodgers: ‘I’m here to win’
New Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers:
“I’m very privileged and honoured.
“My whole plan was to have a year out and reset but once I spoke to the guys at the club and looked a little more deeply into where the club is at, it was pretty straightforward.
“The club is in a fantastic place, and it made me really excited to come back.
“It wasn’t a nostalgic move, but I had an amazing time here. I’m here to win going forward, and I really look forward to hopefully achieving that.”
Rodgers insists he has no regrets about taking the Leicester job but he is pleased to have an opportunity to try to make amends with the Hoops fans.
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“I hope I can still have [a good relationship with the supporters],” he said. “It’s natural that when I left, it was a sad moment.
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Rodgers discusses his return to Celtic, the job done by Ange Postecoglou and the challenge of the Champions League
“I certainly don’t regret it but what I do regret is the hurt it caused people. And that’s the very reason I’m sat here today.
“As a Celtic supporter, I understood what it meant, and probably even more so when I left. That was my regret, that I hurt people who were Celtic supporters, and that was a big part of coming back.”
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Rodgers ‘guarantees’ he will stay at Celtic for his three-year-deal following his departure in 2019 for Leicester midway through the season
Rodgers’ previous Celtic reign lasted just over two-and-a-half years.
Asked if he envisages himself remaining for the long haul on this occasion, he said: “Well, hopefully. I signed for three years and I guarantee I will be here for three years unless I get emptied before that, as they say up here!
“That will be the plan. Then we can look at it from there.”
Rodgers targets domestic dominance and European football after Christmas
New Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers:
“I think your bread and butter is always Scotland. I think you have to ensure that you have dominance whilst you are here.
“But I would like to think there’s something we could do in Europe.
“It’s well-documented over many years when the club hasn’t qualified or gone through. Even though that is a challenge, with the resources other clubs in European football have, it’s a great challenge for us.
“We’ve got Champions League group-stage football this season and we’ll look to have European football after Christmas. That’s a great challenge for us all.”
What is success for Rodgers at Celtic amid awkward reunion?
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What is Celtic’s schedule?
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Celtic go into the new season looking to clinch a third consecutive Scottish Premiership title
Celtic players will return for pre-season training at the club’s Lennoxtown base before jetting out to Japan on tour in July.
Ange Postecoglou’s former club Yokohama F Marinos will be their first opponents on July 19 followed by a match against Gamba Osaka on July 22.
Rodgers’ side then head to South Korea where they will play Wolves at the Suwon World Cup Stadium on July 26.
The club’s first competitive match under Rodgers takes place on the weekend of August 5/6 as Celtic kick-off their Scottish Premiership title defence before Champions League group stage action gets under way on September 19/20.
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Rodgers says it is ‘a good time to strengthen’ his ‘exciting squad’ during the summer transfer window
When are the SPFL fixtures announced?
Fixtures in the SPFL for the 2023/24 season will be released at 9am BST on Friday June 30.
We’ll have fixtures for each club live from 9am across our digital platforms, with Sky Sports News providing a comprehensive hour-long show looking at the major headlines.
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Who will be on the move this summer when the transfer window opens on June 14 and closes at 11pm on September 1 in England and midnight in Scotland?
Keep up to date with all the latest transfer news and rumours in our dedicated Transfer Centre blog on Sky Sports’ digital platforms. You can also catch up with the ins, outs and analysis on Sky Sports News.
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