Rodgers praises Celtic board's 'brave decision'

Brendan Rodgers has praised Celtic major shareholder Dermot Desmond and the Scottish Premiership champions' board for making "such a brave decision" in bringing him back to the club.

Rodgers returned to the manager's role to replace Ange Postecoglou in June, having left midway through season 2019-20 to the dismay of supporters.

And the Northern Irishman, 51, has delivered an eighth trophy as Celtic boss with this week's league title win, and a ninth his next target in the month's Scottish Cup final against Rangers on 25 May.

Celtic complete their league season at home to St Mirren over lunchtime on Saturday, after which they will be presented with the Premiership trophy - a third in three seasons for the club.

"The support I've been given has been unwavering, right the way through the season," Rodgers said on the club's YouTube channel.

"I'm always thankful of Dermot bringing me back because that was such a brave decision from him and the board to take me back knowing that it maybe wasn't going to be universally acclaimed no matter how successful I had been.

"They had the foresight and they had the acumen to be able to convince me to come back and I'm so glad that I did do.

"I know that we'll be back bigger and stronger for next season."

Celtic were knocked out of the League Cup early in the season and finished bottom of their Champions League group but were consistently top of the Premiership until February when Rangers edged ahead.

However, seven wins and a draw from their past eight games took Celtic back to the summit and a 5-0 defeat of Kilmarnock on Wednesday confirmed another title win.

"We came good when it matters and I think now you're probably starting to see the real Celtic, probably what maybe people wanted to see at the beginning of the season," Rodgers said.

"I had to show a mental strength, like the team. Eventually, the work that we do, the processes we have in place have come through in the end. Ultimately, I'm paid here to win and to develop a team to play in the way the fans want them to play. This last period, we can see that now."

And he added: "Surprising a little bit that so many people didn't see what was happening in and around the team, especially having been before, knowing how my teams operate, knowing how they play, knowing how they attack, knowing how that was always the intention. It's not full out attack.

"A top boxer isn't throwing punches all the time, he has to put his guard up every now and then. My teams are reflective of that. They attack, they're aggressive, they score goals, we try and defend well.

"Clearly, there was a reason and a purpose as to why it maybe wasn't functioning quite the same. It certainly wasn't that I had lost the hunger or was going through the motions or I hadn't the stomach for the fight as what people said and that's clearly people that don't know me so it's been very satisfying."