Brendan Rodgers has returned to Celtic for a second spell and made it clear he wants to keep several key members of the backroom staff.
The Northern Irishman was in charge at Parkhead for two-and-a-half years before leaving for Leicester City in 2019 but left the King Power Stadium earlier this year. Celtic's success under Ange Postecoglou resulted in a treble last term and the Australian's good work caught the attention of Tottenham.
Postecoglou has headed south of the border to take charge and had plans to bring John Kennedy and Gavin Strachan with him to north London but Rodgers has confirmed that Kennedy is part of his plans in Scotland with Strachan potentially following suit.
He said: “I wanted John to be with me as we move forward. He is a very talented coach, someone I know well and respect and he will be very important to myself and our players."
Ryan Mason, who led Tottenham last term after the departure of Cristian Stellini, will remain at the club as part of Postecoglou's staff. The Celtic duo were on the shortlist of potential backroom arrivals but the new Tottenham boss may have to consider other options with Chris Davies, formerly No 2 to Rodgers at Leicester, a possible candidate.
Celtic meanwhile will be looking to continue their dominance in Glasgow having won the Scottish title for the past two years. Rodgers led the Bhoys impressively during his tenure, winning successive trebles with his style of football earning huge plaudits.
Rodgers inherits an impressive squad that boasts the likes of Kyogo Furuhashi, who could yet be the subject of bids. He has penned a three-year deal and is planning to build on the platform handed to him. He said: “I am really delighted to return to Celtic and I am hugely excited by this great opportunity. When I was given the privilege of being asked to join the club again, it was a very simple decision for me and my family.
“We have enjoyed some great times at Celtic before and this will be my goal again, to deliver good football, ensure we have a team we all love to watch and ultimately bring more success to our fans. Ange has done some brilliant work across the last two years and I will be doing all I can to maintain Celtic’s momentum as we face into all our domestic and European challenges.
“We have a hugely impressive and talented group of players and staff at the club, and I am really looking forward to meeting up with them all and then getting straight down to work."
