After a day of frantic speculation it seems that the Celtic job is Brendan Rodgers’ if he wants it.
Some major hurdles have to be overcome in terms of his own salary and the playing budget but after speaking out about his admiration for Celtic the club hierarchy have picked up on that message.
The Celtic connections of Davie Moyes, Roy Keane and Neil Lennon are well known but there can be no doubting that the former Liverpool and Swansea boss has similar sentiments.
Born and brought up in Carnlough, 13 miles north of Larne, the 43-year-old knows all about Celtic with a special professional connection in Tommy Burns.
Rodgers was already a coach at Reading when Burns arrived at the club in 1997. Burns appointed him as Academy Director of Reading, setting him on the road to Chelsea, Swansea and Liverpool with Glasgow now appealing to the Irishman.
Speaking shortly after becoming manager of Watford Rodgers explained: “I think you need to do your badges and put your time in, to learn and develop, but when you do take the plunge, your name won’t save you for long if you’re no good at it.
“My dear old friend Tommy Burns, the Celtic legend who passed away earlier this year, once told me that when the curtains go back and the spotlight is shining on you, nothing can prepare you for that.”
After quitting Watford for Reading, Rodgers found himself out of football before a stint at Swansea that sent his stock soaring thanks to promotion to the Premier League and an impressive first season in the top flight.
After hosting Celtic for a pre-season friendly in 2011 he said: “Celtic were my boyhood club, with the likes of Danny McGrain and Tommy.
“Tommy was a hero, a great man and a friend of mine. He was a special man and saw something in me early on. I’ve been lucky to work with some of the world’s top bosses but I got a lot of human qualities from Tommy.
“He had time for everyone and made me see you can be a good guy and a good coach. We’d talk for hours. When I was at Chelsea I’d visit him.
“I last saw him in August 2007. He took ill the next February and before I knew it he’d died, God bless him.
“At his funeral you saw the respect he had from all sides.He was a wonderful football guy but an even better person. Tommy twists, Tommy turns, Tommy Burns.”
The next week will determine whether Rodgers gets to follow Burns into the manager’s chair at Celtic Park.
