Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers was open and honest about the struggles he has found in his return to Glasgow in an interview with Sky Sports pre-match.

Rodgers’ first season back in Scotland hasn’t gone as swimmingly as some would have hoped, but he looks to have come out the other end.

Rodgers said:[Sky Sports], “There’s been a challenge, that’s for sure. I think on a professional and a personal level, taking over the squad that had won a treble, I’d say a squad that then, some of those key players had left, and then the challenge is there of those injured players, which we’ve had a lot of the season, and the football probably wasn’t to the level I would expect and want. That has been a challenge, but that’s also management.

“It’s never going to be the magic carpet ride like it was the first time for me here, so I know I have to show I can manage in adversity and other aspects, which has been a challenge.”

Rodgers showed honesty and openness in admitting that he has faced challenges with results on the pitch and from the media.

It would have been nearly impossible for Rodgers to replicate the invincibility he had in his previous spell at the club, especially with that cut short in August against Kilmarnock, exiting the League Cup.

However, the Irishman has fought back with a 2-1 win this afternoon over Rangers, turning things around after a disappointing few months in the first half of the season, the Hoops are now on the verge of the Scottish Premiership title.

Rodgers has shown he can weather storms at Celtic, demonstrating his commitment to the club through difficult spells despite questions over how long he would stay after the manner of his previous departure.