I’ll be happy if I’m NEVER back in the Premier League again says Brendan Rodgers as he makes Celtic future vow
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LOVE lured Carl Starfelt away from Celtic.
For Brendan Rodgers, that’s what brought him back.
The Swedish centre-back is on his way to Spanish club Celta Vigo to be closer to his girlfriend, Jacynta.
Hoops boss Rodgers insists he fully understands why any player would put a relationship ahead of football.
But he says it’s his feelings for Celts that are the be-all and end-all now — when it comes to his managerial career. Rodgers said: “If you look at the bigger picture, I’m pretty sure in life I’ve made decisions based on my family.
“Carl’s in a really strong relationship, and we all make decisions that are based on relationships or family.
“He’s also getting the chance to go to La Liga, because when most players leave here — and even to my own extent — you’re not leaving Celtic, you’re leaving the league. It’s not this club you’re leaving.
“I left Celtic for the Premier League, the competition. I’ve come back for this club, not the league.
“Young guys like Starfelt are leaving the Premiership to then go and play in La Liga with a greater financial package.
“And then, aligned to that, is a relationship that he’s very happy in.
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“It’s a short life, especially as a footballer, and we have to respect that.
“If it all goes through then, in his time here, he’s been a really good servant to the club.
“Starfelt had a really good partnership with Cameron Carter-Vickers for two years, and he’ll leave here as a fantastic player who won honours. We move on.”
Boss Rodgers admits the Swede’s decision to go wasn’t something he expected, and added: “No I didn’t anticipate that.
“But you’ve always got to be prepared for folk coming in. I never expected to lose Jota or Starfelt, but that’s the way the game goes.
“There’s an opportunity for Carl. He’s come in here and done really well for a couple of years — he’s a good guy and he worked really well over the course of pre-season.
“It’s no great secret, that’s just the reality.
“A lot of these guys come in here and they have a two or three year cycle, and then they look to move on. If they get the chance to move, not to a bigger club, but to a more competitive league, and it’s better for them economically then they are always going to look at it.
“It’s the way of the world. There’s no great secret in it now.
“Players will come in and the supporters now understand the model of the club. History has shown that guys will come in and work really well. The real key to it all then is to ensure that, behind it, there is a plan in place for when one of them does go.
“That’s the beauty of it. One of the things I looked at coming in here was the work that Mark Lawwell does — he does a fantastic job.
“He has many players covered really extensively.
“So if that ‘what if’ scenario comes up, then there’s that possibility to get a player in.”
Rodgers was lured away from the Hoops by the star-studded cash-rich EPL.
But he insists that’s NOT going to happen again.
He said: “If I look at it I have managed three Premier League clubs.
“Some people never get the chance to manage one.
“So I know now coming out of the Premier League, if I never go back there in my life I’ve had a good run.
“For me there is not that feeling. The challenge was there of the Premier League and I left for that.
“The challenge was top-class players, different systems, top-level managers.
“But I did that with Swansea, and Liverpool and Leicester, and there’s only so many jobs you want to do.
“So my feeling was to come back to Celtic, and this is where I am really happy.
“The mindset changes slightly in terms of you know the landscape, and you have a better feel for it.
“You understand the model of the club better.
“It’s not an acceptance. It’s just you find other ways to help the club progress.”
Asked if he can still be really challenged in Scotland, Rodgers explained: “When I was up here for near on three years it was very good for that. There are some outstanding coaches up here.
“Malky Mackay is up at Ross County, but with the greatest respect to them, Malky has shown he’s an excellent manager.
“It wasn’t that long ago I was facing Malky when I was at Liverpool and he was at Cardiff, and he was an up and coming manager.
“He was very good tactically, and also a good motivator of his team.
“You see Derek McInnes last week with Kilmarnock, he was outstanding when I was up here the last time.
“He made Aberdeen a really strong team, very difficult to play against, and also really competitive.
“And now you see with the resources he has, he’s doing the same at Kilmarnock.
“There will be other coaches up here. Michael Beale at Rangers is an up and coming manager.
“I’m looking forward to meeting the other guys I haven’t met already, like Stephen Robinson.
“There’s always a challenge in every league.
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“On top of that, you have regular European football.”
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