Brendan Rodgers insists there has never been a moment’s doubt in his mind about returning to Celtic — regardless of the silverware that might or might not have followed.
With the Hoops just one result away from clinching their 13th league title in 14 seasons, Rodgers was asked if the prospect of another trophy and Celtic’s progression in Europe had reaffirmed his decision to return to Parkhead. His answer was emphatic.
“I was right to come back,” he told Celtic TV. “Whether I’d won nothing, it was really just about that point — having the energy and, obviously, the close proximity to me leaving — whether the feeling would have been too difficult for supporters to accept.
“In the main, most of the supporters have been really, really good. Of course, you can’t please everyone, but my focus then, as soon as I was to come back, was to make the club as successful as we can be.
“And we’ve progressed and worked very, very well. And now we’re on the cusp of finishing the season as successfully as you can be.
“But no, I think once I had spoken to Dermot, and the guys laid out the plans, and once I’d committed to it, then I was really motivated to come back and do the very best I could.”
Now on the verge of securing another league crown and with a Scottish Cup final still to come, Rodgers has again shown why Celtic turned back to him.
If he does wrap up the Scottish Cup, and the league is confirmed, that will be five domestic trophies out of six since his return to the east side of Glasgow in the summer of 2023.
He missed out on the League Cup last season after Kilmarnock knocked his Celtic side out in the early stages, and despite a mid-season blip, he ensured that Celtic picked up the remaining two trophies.
Fact forward to this season, so far ahead in the league, his focus remains on finishing the season in the strongest fashion possible, with success reinforcing the belief that he made the right call to return.
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