Three years on from his overnight departure from Celtic, Brendan Rodgers is still trying to justify his actions.
On 24 February 2019 Rodgers watched Celtic beat Motherwell 4-1 soon after Leicester City had sacked Claude Puel.
The following day it was business as usual as the Celtic squad trained at Lennoxtown ahead of a difficult double header away to Hearts and Hibs having lost at those grounds earlier in the season.
What happened next only a select band of people know about, Rodgers never returned to Lennoxtown with key members of his backroom staff announced as part of the Leicester City management team on February 26.
Things moved incredibly quickly, just two and a half days after sacking Puel Leicester had a new manager. Two days after the win over Motherwell Rodgers was in the Midlands with his offices at Lennoxtown and Celtic Park cleared out.
The Irishman has been at Leicester longer than his Celtic stay, he is one of the longest serving managers in the EPL but felt the need to tell the Belfast Telegraph his version of his rapid Celtic exit:
The original plan was to stay until the end of the season but then it changes and I made the decision to leave Celtic in what I felt was a really strong position. I felt the club was in a really good position from a football perspective, financial perspective and a winning perspective. So, yeah then it was on to the next step.
Obviously there was a lot said within Celtic, outside of Celtic and media but I’ll never let that ever diminish the amazing time I had there because for me it is all about the feeling. I understand Celtic people and supporters when I left. I totally get that because a loss of anything there is always sadness and anger and I totally get that and how I left it was the probably the shock element of it.
I look back and think more of the amazing time I had not just on the pitch but off the pitch and the support I had and the friends we made. Living in Glasgow was an amazing experience. We travel up when we can and the experience will never be tainted by anything else.
With 48 points from 36 matches Leicester are set for a mid-table finish in the EPL, falling short of earning a European place for next season.
He was great for Celtic, will be forever grateful for the success he brought.
He left under a cloud, but it might be worth thinking about whats went on since he left, mitigating circumstances perhaps or just flat out personal gain?
Time to let it go…
To be honest he doesn’t need to justify it.
The reality is the then CEO pissed him off to such an extent he had had enough.
The prospect of trebling his wages would have also helped the decision along.
Supporters do what supporters do: they believe that everyone who walks in the door should love the club as much as we do however the reality is somewhat different.
Most players and managers arrive here looking to do three years maximum and then secure a move to the Premier League across the border.
The phrase “He gets us” is so much over used that it is beyond parody.
The harsh reality is that most guys view us as a stepping stone and remember Rodgers and his backroom team earned us £9M when they left which again our CEO replaced with the cheapest option he could find.
This story has ended. Let it go!
We are interested in what is happening now.