Brendan Rodgers has say on 'free' Alan Muir exit after Celtic errors and says VAR blunderer will shop easier

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has had his say on VAR official Alan Muir leaving his post after some high-profile errors involving his team.

Muir is understood to have been removed from his role at Clydesdale House and will now act as a referee observer.

The former top-flight referee was one of the Scottish Football Association’s three VAR specialists alongside Andrew Dallas and Greg Aitken. But he had not been in action since disallowing an equalising goal for Celtic against Hibs after ruling the ball had gone out for a goal kick before Alistair Johnston cut it back for Daizen Maeda. SFA head of referees Willie Collum later stated the goal should have stood as there was no conclusive proof the ball was out.

Alan Muir has made some high-profile errors as a VAR. | SNS Group

Muir was previously publicly rebuked by Collum over his failure to upgrade a free-kick against Celtic’s Liam Scales to a penalty in the Premier Sports Cup final, the referees boss describing the omission as “really, really poor” and “unacceptable”.

On Muir’s exit, Rodgers commented: “Listen, we all make mistakes. Absolutely. I'm not sure whether that was Alan's decision or however it's come about. But I think we're all in work. We're all on a job. And if we don't do it quite to the level, we'll all be moved on.

“There's very few jobs you go into in work where you won't lose your job. But I always think up here, so long as the referees are getting the support, the help, the education to develop, if it's consistent mistakes over long periods of time, and you're giving evidence to people that you're not quite seeing the game, then naturally you're not going to be in the position.

‘I’m sure he’ll feel free’

“It's a really, really difficult job. But like I said, if you're making mistakes and you're not quite seeing things consistently, then that's maybe what can happen.

“But I'm sure he'll feel free. He just enjoys life now, Alan. And he can walk into the supermarket and have no problems, I'm sure. But no, it's education, it's learning, it's development. And we all know we'll make mistakes.”