BRENDAN RODGERS has admitted he is looking forward in going toe-to-toe with his former Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard next season.
The Anffield legend, who spent three seasons with the Celtic gaffer on Merseyside, has agreed a four-year deal at Ibrox with the contract kicking in at the start of next month.
Gerrard, 37, becomes the struggling side’s fourth manager in two years following Mark Warburton, Pedro Caixinha and Graeme Murty, the caretaker boss who had two stints in charge before being sacked on Tuesday.
Rodgers said: “He had incredible quality as a player and that level of professionalism is what made him great.
“I’m sure he will take those attributes into his management.
“I haven’t spoken to him, I let him be when I saw he was linked with it, he will obviously have his own thoughts on it.
“But I am delighted for him because he has obviously had an incredible playing career, wanted to manage, wanted to coach and now he gets the opportunity to do that.”
Rodgers added: “He will have an idea in relation of how he wants to work.
“Only over time will you see the identity of his team and how they want to work and how they want to play.
“In his time, he has lived with that expectation. Of course, it’s totally different in relation to management and especially up here with such a rivalry.
“When you work with big clubs you have to handle that pressure. He will embrace it.
“He could have gone into another job with a bit less pressure, but he’s taken on a role that he feels he’s got enough assurances to make it work and my job is to try to make sure it doesn’t.”
Rodgers, who is unbeaten in 11 games against Sevco, winning nine and drawing two, had experience with Watford, Reading and Swansea before his move to Liverpool in 2012.
He added: “I always say when I welcome new managers into the the job it’s welcome to the land of no sleep.
“It’s a totally different experience and you only get that through doing it. There is a curve of experience that you need to go through.
“I certainly know where I am now. I started at 35 and I’m 45 now. Ten years later, over 400-odd games, I’m a much better manager than when I started.”
Read more from Celtic Quick News …
- LENNY BLASTS MURTY’S SACKING
- MORGAN ON BRINK OF SCOTS CALL-UP
- BROONY? TIERNEY? DEMEBELE? FORGET THEM! GERRARD WOULD BE BEST IN SCOTLAND – BELLAMY’S BARMY CLAIM
- LEGEND ‘BAFFLED’ AT RODGERS SNUB
- ‘I’LL BE BETTER FOR DONS EXPERIENCE,’ CHRISTIE
- ‘MY CELTIC TARGET,’ RALSTON
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