Celtic captain Callum McGregor has urged the club to secure Brendan Rodgers’ long-term future, insisting the manager is “elite” and a driving force behind the team’s relentless success.
Rodgers, who returned to the club last summer for a second spell, is entering the final year of his current three-year deal. While he has made it clear he is committed to seeing out that contract — stating he is “200%” staying next season — speculation continues to swirl over what comes next, particularly after his abrupt departure in 2019.
Recent attempts by pundits such as Ally McCoist to link Rodgers with jobs in England — including at clubs without managerial vacancies — have only fuelled concern among some supporters, but that’s their aim.
However, McGregor believes Celtic have a rare talent in the dugout and insists Rodgers has elevated the club since his return. [RecordSport]
“If we can keep him for as long as we can, then we have an elite level manager.
“He was hugely successful in his first spell. He’s come back, done the same again. The hunger’s there. He’s an elite manager at the highest level and Celtic are lucky to have him as well.
“Since he’s come in, he’s elevated the club to a new level. You just look at the domestic success that’s happened since then and it’s been relentless. If we’re successful in the cup final, that’ll be six Trebles in nine years – that’s unheard of.
“We then get into the conversation that if you don’t win a Treble, it’s been a disaster. That tells you how far he’s pushed the club.
“The manager doesn’t ever want to drop below that. You see it a couple of weeks ago against St Johnstone.
“We actually played relatively OK in the game, but the result hurts him. Straight away, he’s on to the players, ‘we have to rectify that’. That shows you his mentality.
“I see how he operates. I see the way he is around the training ground and when he speaks, I’m starting to understand why he’s doing things.
“He cares so much about the players. He cares so much about his profession as well. So when I see someone like that I think, ‘that’s gold dust’.”
McGregor and Rodgers have a close relationship. When the manager was first linked to the job, it was the Celtic captain who flew to Majorca and met with the Irishman and talked about the club and where they were at as a squad, and it was that that persuaded the gaffer to take the gamble and become Celtic manager for the second time.
