Brendan Rodgers reveals past struggles with Celtic departures as he makes Scottish league admission

Brendan Rodgers used to take it personally when players wanted to leave Celtic but he’s returned to Parkhead a more pragmatic figure. Carl Starfelt’s imminent departure for Celta Vigo after just two years would have wounded Rodgers in the past.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers accepts that players will leave the club for a bigger league. (Photo by Craig Foy / SNS Group)

Now the manager sees the constant churn of international talent as more a statement about the league they’re leaving and the one they’re set to join rather than anything detrimental about Celtic. All that Rodgers can do about it is make sure he has the next one lined up to fill the void.

“I think there’s an opportunity for Carl,” he said. “A lot of these guys come in here and they have a two or three year cycle and then they look to move on. If they get the chance to move, not to a bigger club but to a more competitive league and it’s better for them economically, then naturally they are going to look at it.

“It was (more frustrating) in my first time here because, as someone who loved the club for a long time, I could never understand why someone would leave Celtic. But it’s the way of the world. I think the supporters now understand that and they understand the model of the club. History has shown that guys will come in and work really well. The real key to it all is to ensure that, behind that, there is a plan in place for when one of them does go. That’s the beauty of it.”

The nature of Rodgers’ sudden exit from Celtic in February 2019 makes it harder for him to grumble too much about anyone else seeking a better life away from Scottish football. But he revealed he has no great desire to return to the Premier League.

“When most players leave here - and even to my own extent - you’re not leaving Celtic, you’re leaving the league," he explained. “I left Celtic for the league, the competition. I’ve come back for Celtic, not the league.

“I have managed three Premier League clubs. Some people never get the chance to manage one. So, if I never go back to the Premier League in my life I’ve had a good run. My feeling was to come back here and this is where I am really, really happy.

“The mindset changes slightly. You know the landscape, you have a better feel for it and you understand better the model of the club. You find other ways to help the club progress. That’s why I came back.”

Rodgers believes there will be enough of a challenge domestically to keep him stimulated.

“Listen, when I was up here for nearly three years it was very, very good for that,” he added. “There are some outstanding coaches up here. Malky Mackay is at Ross County but, with the greatest respect to Ross County, Malky is an excellent manager.

“You see Derek (McInnes) last week with Kilmarnock. He was outstanding when I was up here the last time. He made Aberdeen a really, really strong team, difficult to play against and very competitive.

“And now you see with the resources he has, doing the exact same at Kilmarnock. There’s but two, and there’ll be other coaches here like Michael (Beale) at Rangers, another young up and coming manager.”