Celtic clinched the Scottish Premiership title with an emphatic 5-0 victory over Kilmarnock on Wednesday night, marking a significant achievement for manager Brendan Rodgers upon his return to the club.
This victory secured the 18th league title of the millennium for Celtic and represented a personal vindication for Rodgers, who faced considerable scrutiny throughout the season.
Rodgers, who rejoined Celtic last summer, has been under the microscope, not just for the team’s performance but also due to the manner of his previous departure in 2019, which left many fans feeling betrayed. However, this recent triumph has not only mended bridges but also restored his standing among the Celtic fans, with fans once again singing his name in celebration.
Addressing his critics, especially those in the media who he felt used “emotional words” to question his commitment and capability, Rodgers discussed the mental resilience required to navigate the season.
“I’m not made of wood. We all have feelings,” Brendan Rodgers admitted to Clyde 1 SSB.
“We’re all built in different ways, I feel I can deal with pressure and those situations. But it still doesn’t make you immune to everything. What experience has given me is not to become too emotional with words.
“I can trace back to August, when the headlines were that I was under massive pressure. That was in August and it’s continued right the way through. I had to show mental strength like the team has had to do and eventually, the work that we did came through in the end. It’s been a challenging season in ways that I didn’t think it was going to be.
“A little bit awkward and a little bit of feeling (from the fans) when I came back, which I totally get. It’s satisfying, is what you would say. I’m satisfied in the work we’ve been able to do. It’s surprising a little that so many people didn’t see what was happening around the team, knowing how my teams operate and how they play, how they attack. It’s not full-out attack.
“I tend to think of my teams like a top boxer. A top boxer isn’t throwing punches all the time, he needs to put his guard up now and again. My teams are reflective of that. They attack, they’re aggressive, they score goals, and they defend well.
“Clearly there was a reason and a purpose as to why it wasn’t functioning quite the same. It certainly wasn’t that I had lost the hunger, or that I was going through the motions, or lost the stomach for the fight. So it’s been very satisfying.”
