If you sat someone down at the beginning of the year and told them that Brendan Rodgers would be the Celtic manager by the end of July, it is fair to say they wouldn’t believe you. The Irishman’s return to Glasgow came as much of a surprise as Ange Postecoglou’s departure.

Rodgers was the outstanding candidate to replace the now Spurs gaffer and comes in as a much more experienced and ‘hungrier’ manager than he did in 2016, according to himself. He said (Daily Record): “I’ve come back with more experience, more games under my belt but equally, more hunger. There is probably a greater appreciation, that’s for sure. In terms of football and having gone away for four and half years and working in the most competitive league in the world, the English Premier League with top players and top managers, so you will only develop and learn from that.”

In some ways, the 50-year-old leaving Celtic for the Premier League did have its benefits in terms of his overall development as a manager. Having a lengthy spell in one of the best leagues in the world only shapes one positively and that is what happened with Rodgers.

As well as gaining managerial development and added hunger, the double-treble winning gaffer also conjured up more appreciation for football and his position whilst in England. Rodgers said: “I think I’ll enjoy it even more now that I am back. The first time I was here, and I loved my time here, it was great.

But having gone away for four and a half years, I had a lot to think about before coming back. I said to myself that I was going to enjoy every single moment of being back here again, both in terms of life and in football and I intend to do that.”

The overwhelming majority of Celtic fans are delighted that Rodgers is the man in charge of the club and they will be even happier that the Irishman believes he has came on from his maiden spell at the helm. It is not long before his long awaited return to the Parkhead dugout is here, a moment supporters have been craving since his appointment.