Kieran McMullan was one of 13,000 Celtic fans who welcomed Brendan Rodgers with open arms to Parkhead on the day he was unveiled as Celtic manager first time around.
Seven years ago, it was personal and time and circumstance hasn’t changed that one bit. In fact, Kieran – Rodgers’ older cousin from the same small village of Carnlough in County Antrim – believes his relative will be even more determined to be a success at Celtic at the second time of asking.
When you consider Rodgers won seven out of seven trophies available to him, and an Invincible Treble, that sounds like a tall order but 58-year-old Kieran reckons his cousin will be out to cause a commotion in the Champions League as well as in Scotland. And he is adamant the man who caused uproar when he left mid-season for Leicester in 2019 will very quickly win over the fans who reacted with such fury to his decision to return to the English Premier League.
Rodgers will meet the media on Friday and while the press conference will be a lot less Hollywood than first time around, McMullan reckons the script was written in the stars. “I thought he might come back at some stage, but it caught us a little bit by surprise he’s back so soon,” he told Record Sport.
“But I’m just delighted he’s home. That’s exactly the emotion. Celtic feels like home to him and to us. The family is delighted and I know the entire village is delighted. The community is so proud of everything Brendan has achieved in the game and was thrilled when he became manager of Celtic the first time. It’s brilliant for everyone that he’s back again.
“Celtic could not have got a better man for the job. He knows the club, he loves the club, but more than that if Celtic were looking for the best manager to take them forward they’ve got him. Of all the names that were bandied about, he was the strongest candidate, no question.”
Kieran knows his cousin has bridges to build but, being a lifelong Celtic fan himself and a regular at Parkhead even after Rodgers departed, he insists the former Liverpool boss will get the support onside very quickly. “The fans who were upset about his departure have got to put that to rest now,” he added. “When Brendan gets in there and has them playing his style of football, and starts winning games, everyone will be all right. I’ve seen what the Green Brigade said about him, but that’s not right. Brendan’s a Celtic fan and always has been.
“Unfortunately, Scottish football plays second fiddle to the big league in England and if players get the chance to go, they usually take it. Managers are the same. People should understand the way modern football is now. Players and managers come and go, as Ange Postecoglou has now done, and as Brendan has said, it didn’t take him long to decide to come back when Celtic asked him.
“Celtic are massive and it’s not until people leave that they realise just how big that club is. I’m sure Brendan would have moments when he thought, ‘I’ve left a massive club and if I get the chance I’d go back’.
“Now he’s got that chance and he can’t wait to get started because most times you don’t get a second chance.
“It would have been easy for him to wait for another big job in England or to go abroad, but the fact he’s chosen to come back proves his commitment. When Celtic came calling, because he’s a supporter and it’s embedded in our family, he took it.
“Don’t forget he’s coming into Champions League group stage football. That’s massive for him and the club. The last time he was here, Celtic were having to go through qualifiers in the first two seasons, and any Scottish club finds it tough fighting their way through those games at the very start of a season.”
Kieran was at the Scottish Cup Final when Ange Postecoglou polished off the Treble. He was always coming back for the first league game of the season when the Premiership flag will be hoisted over Celtic Park, but he didn’t dare dream his wee cuz would be back in the dugout for it.
“No, it is a dream come true,” he admitted. “Everyone here is hugely excited. The Glens of Antrim is a hotbed for Celtic and although interest was at fever pitch when Brendan was the manager the last time, interest in the club is always massive and still was after he left.
“It always has been. When Fergus McCann was buying shares to launch his takeover bid way back, he came to this part of the world to buy them from people. This part of the North of Ireland is pretty much embedded in Celtic.
“And Brendan was a big part of that when he was a wee boy. I know some people were doubting that he was really a Celtic man when he left, but believe me, he is a Celtic supporter.
“I used to take him over myself, on the ferry from Larne to Cairnryan then up to Glasgow for the games on a day trip. I’m eight years older than him and would go with him. His uncle took him to games as well, so from a young boy he was steeped in Celtic.
“The Carnlough Travel Club, out of the Waterfall Bar, still goes regularly to Celtic Park and there’s the Cushendall Glens of Antrim CSC not far down the road as well. So, the support never changed while Brendan was away but it’ll get back to fever pitch now. I’ve never been away. I go all the time.
“I was at the cup final and I go over for games about six to eight times a season and follow them in Europe as well. I was in Madrid with them this season. I’ll be over for flag day and hopefully catch up with him then.”
