Brendan Rodgers says he DOESN’T regret leaving Celtic four years ago but insists he DOES regret the hurt it caused his fellow Hoops fans.
The Irishman has returned to the Parkhead hotseat after his controversial mid-season departure in 2019 for Leicester City and some supporters have never forgiven him. A small minority – mostly from the Green Brigade – were against him returning to replace Ange Postecoglou in the east end of Glasgow. Rodgers hopes to mend that relationship with any doubters by returning to winning ways and opened up on the feelings around his exit. The 50-year-old said: “I would understand how the supporters would feel and I also know when I was here the first time and doing really well I also had critics. It was an emotional time, the club was going for 10 in a row.
“I hope I can still have a fabulous relationship with the fanbase. It’s natural that when I left it was a sad moment. I certainly don’t regret it but what I do regret is the hurt it caused people and that’s the very reason I’m sat here today. As a Celtic supporter I understood what it meant. That was my regret – that I hurt people who were Celtic fans and it was a big part of coming back.
“I never get too emotional with words and I’m hoping in my time here I can have the impact I had in my first time. The expectations are greater and the pressure is greater because of what we did the first time and how I left but that’s what I wanted, it’s why I’m here. I want to take on that expectation and pressure.
"I’m here to win and for me hopefully the people I’ve had lots of support from when I left, I really thank them for that, and to the people who maybe don’t want me here hopefully I can shift their opinion and prove to them with the football we play and success we can have.”
