Brendan Rodgers: I need to get Celtic Park stands full again

New Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers is unveiled to the fans after a press conference at Celtic Park. Picture: PA

The 43-year-old former Swansea City and Liverpool boss was introduced to media on Monday afternoon as the successor to Ronny Deila.

Crowds had fallen away under the Norwegian who, despite winning two successive Ladbrokes Premiership titles to make it five-in-a-row for the Glasgow club, failed to get the Hoops into European football’s elite club competition in his two years in charge.

Before going out to take the applause of several thousand Celtic fans who has been allowed into the stadium to greet him, the Northern Irishman said: “We want to dominate in Scotland and qualify for the Champions League. We will need the fans to do that.

“This is an incredible football club and the support here is phenomenal. I need to get those stands full again.

“The top tier of the Lisbon Lions stand has been closed or empty and it is my job to get people in here again and inspire the supporters to come back and watch a game of football that inspires and excites them and is about scoring goals and winning.

“Ultimately that is what we want to do and if we can do that then we will be on the right track.

“Here is not just about winning. Celtic is brought up to win in a way football, style, identity and that is something that hopefully we can create here and make the supporters proud of their team.”

Rodgers polished his Celtic-supporting credentials at the press conference which included members of his family.

“I have my uncles and cousins here, it was they who started me off on that front,” he said. “It was from early years, listening on the radio.

“The first game I went to was 1984, it was a friendly, Celtic versus Finn Harps over in Ireland, that was my first memory.

“I was 11 years of age and from then I have been in the Celtic family with many relations, brothers, cousins, uncles all throughout the world, huge supporters and it is very much being their life.

“I am very lucky to be able to step out of the stands and onto the sidelines and manage the team.”