It hasn’t been dramatic but over the last two years Brendan Rodgers has cleared an entire team of players out of Celtic.
Retained at the club is a core of players led by Scott Brown who have taken on board the way that the Irishman operates and reaped the benefits.
During Ronny Deila’s second season things had tailed off badly at Celtic, probably starting with the Champions League exit away to Malmo.
A winless Europa Cup campaign highlighted some of the issues, Kris Commons had a televised row with the coaching staff during a defeat in Norway while Charlie Mulgrew walked off the park injured as soon as Ajax scored a winning goal at a half empty Celtic Park.
After opening negotiations with Celtic Rodgers took a closer look at the club and in particular the dynamics of the dressing room.
Some trusted sources would have added to his instinct on certain players as he prepared to take over.
Getting rid of players under contract isn’t easy but slowly the squad has been whittled with Stuart Armstrong the only departure that Rodgers would rather have avoided.
Of the players that have moved on Saidy Janko is the unlikely success story, after just 21 appearances for St Etienne he has hit the jackpot with a move to Porto for a fee reported at £3m.
It’s doubtful if Rodgers has any regrets about the players that have left, perhaps a few of them may be thinking of what might have been had they bought into Brendan’s ways.
ANTHONY STOKES
Was the first sign of the hard line that Rodgers takes.
The day after the former Liverpool boss took over Stokes scored twice to win the Scottish Cup for Hibs.
A return to Celtic seemed inevitable but Rodgers didn’t want to know, the year option on the Dubliner’s contract wasn’t taken up and he was off on his merry way, currently still looking for a new club.
GARY MACKAY-STEVEN
Started off on the wrong footing with an ankle injury when Rodgers arrived but picked up a League Cup winners medal against Aberdeen without having kicked a ball that season.
He made a couple of fleeting appearances but couldn’t compete or compare with Patrick Roberts.
When Jonny Hayes arrived Mackay-Steven moved in the opposite direction and has enjoyed a degree of success with Derek McInnes after some unwelcome headlines from the River Kelvin.
CHARLIE MULGREW
Another surprise departure, he was out of contract as central defender’s fell like flies but despite training at Lennoxtown there was no improved contract put on the table.
Mulgrew had been Neil Lennon’s first signing, picked up five SPL winners medals but Rodgers had very definite plans that didn’t include Mulgrew.
Once the 16/17 season had started Owen Coyle signed him for Blackburn, under Tony Mowbray he has suffered relegation and promotion. In January he was linked to a couple of EPL sides but looks like starting the new season as a Blackburn player.
KRIS COMMONS
A very similar story to Stokes and Mulgrew but he had a year to run on his contract.
A back injury saw him sidelined but a 28 day emergency loan reunited with Neil Lennon at Hibs illustrated that the old magic was still around.
When his Celtic contract ended he was expected to move to newly promoted Hibs but after a couple of attempts at a comeback he decided to retire and focus on his media career which currently covers Sky Sports, Radio Scotland and the Daily Mail.
STEFAN JOHANSEN
He had a year to run on his Celtic contract, Rodgers was very diplomatic but after the Champions League win over Astana he was transferred to Fulham.
It probably wasn’t the move that he had hoped for but after two seasons in London he is now in the EPL following a play-off success over Aston Villa.
He could have been a part of the success story but his departure opened the door to Stuart Armstrong and Tom Rogic with no one complaining.
LOGAN BAILLY
The erratic keeper seemed a strange Ronny Deila signing but was included in Rodgers first squad that headed to pre-season training in Slovenia.
An injury picked up during that training camp ended any chance he had of impressing Rodgers with Dorus de Vries brought in as back up to Craig Gordon.
In the summer of 2017 he returned to Belgium, making 16 appearances last season for Royal Mouscron.
NADIR CIFCI
Had the honour of scoring the first goal of the Rodgers reign but despite that strike against NK Celje he was never likely to be part of the new regime.
The loan spells continued as Celtic tried to manage his four year contract, finally at Motherwell he struck some form and goals before having the final year of his contract ‘mutually consented’.
He has travelled quite a bit and is now back in Turkey with Second Division side Genclerbirligi looking to rediscover the Dundee United form that earned him his Celtic transfer.
STUART ARMSTRONG
The one departure that Rodgers would rather have avoided but £7m from Southampton wasn’t to be resisted after last summer’s contract stand off.
After starting on the outside looking in Armstrong forced his way into the starting XI with commanding performances and a run of important goals.
With a year left on his contract it took into the start of the 17/18 season before he signed an unsatisfactory 12 month extension, he never recaptured the heights with his summer departure having inevitable stamped all over it.
ERIK SVIATCHENKO
Was a strange and unexpected departure after initially appearing to fit in with the profile of a ‘Rodgers player’.
After the winter break in Dubai Dedryck Boyata came out of cold storage with Sviatchenko gradually edged out of the picture.
Being injured away to Rosenborg in last season’s Champions League qualifier brought the curtain down on his Celtic career with a loan move back to Mijtjylland converted into a permanent deal amid much grief on social media during the close season.
SAIDY JANKO
The most unlikely success story after signing for Porto last month.
He featured in the early Champions League qualifiers but after a nightmare performance away to Hapoel Beer Sheva was shunted out to Barnsley on loan.
Last summer he made a low key exit to St Etienne but somehow managed to attract the attention of Porto- the fourth club on his CV to have played in a Champions League/European Cup Final.
EFE AMBROSE
Was given a few early season outings but after scoring an own goal for Barcelona in a Dublin friendly his Celtic days were over.
In the spring of 2017 he joined up again with Neil Lennon and became a bit of a cult figure as the Edinburgh side won promotion back to the top flight.
Lo and behold he scored against Celtix last December as the invincible record came under threat in a 2-2 draw at Easter Road, Hibs fans seem well pleased with Efe.