What does it say about Scottish football if Celtic manager leaves for Leicester?

Celtic were a bigger club than Leicester City 19 years ago when they tempted Martin O’Neill away from Filbert Street to become their manager.

In terms of stature, size and history, the Scottish champions remain a bigger club today than the one currently sitting in 12th place in the English Premier League and who are on the brink of naming Brendan Rodgers as their new boss.

But almost two decades on from O’Neill’s move north of the border, Celtic are simply dwarfed financially by Leicester City.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers is on the verge of joining Leicester City. Picture: SNS

That’s the harsh reality today for Celtic supporters trying to come to terms with the departure of a man who has delivered an unprecedented level of domestic dominance for their club.

Back in 2000, O’Neill was able to both significantly increase his salary and fulfil his professional ambitions when he took charge of a club which was close to his heart. He was also handed a transfer budget which allowed him to recruit high profile players from the English Premier League on competitive wages.

While Rodgers became the highest paid manager in Celtic’s history when they appointed him in the summer of 2016, he has been operating in an environment changed out of all recognition since O’Neill’s time at the club.

The staggering financial growth of the English Premier League is underlined by the £118 million Leicester City received in prize money and TV rights for finishing ninth in the table last season. By comparison, Celtic picked up a cheque for just £3.18 million for winning the Scottish Premiership.

The £6 million Leicester had to cough up to release Rodgers from his Celtic contract, which was due to run until 2021, was loose change for the Srivaddhanaprabha family and its King Power Group of Companies who own the club.

In their most recent financial accounts, Leicester City showed a turnover of £233 million and made a profit after tax of £80 million for the 12 months to June 2017. In the same period, which was a highly successful one under Rodgers, Celtic posted turnover of £90 million and a profit of just under £7 million.

The writing has been on the wall for Rodgers’ return to English football for some time. His frustration at the financial limitations placed on him in terms of player recruitment had become increasingly apparent this season.

The timing of the move is more of a surprise, in that Rodgers will be giving up the opportunity to lead Celtic to a ‘triple treble’ of Scottish domestic trophies in the remaining three months of this season.

That the lure of working again in the biggest league in the world can trump even that prospect simply sums up why Scottish football has never been more in the shadow of the English game.