BRENDAN RODGERS has opened up on what it will take to persuade him to sign a new deal at Celtic.
The manager is entering into the third and final year of his current contract after returning to the club in June 2023.
There has been constant conjecture over the Irishman’s future and he has revealed he will not be hanging around the club simply to “maintain” standards.
As he prepared for the Premiership opener against St Mirren at Parkhead on Sunday, Rodgers admitted there had been talks with the champions’ major shareholder Dermot Desmond and chief executive Michael Nicholson in the close season.
Asked if his future had become any clearer, the Hoops gaffer replied candidly: “There’s no further update and, for the sake of honesty and clarity, I can tell you exactly where we’re at.
“I said when I came here first that I would do three years minimum. People had me out the door at the end of last season or going various places.
“I said then and I’ll say it now – there’s nowhere to go. I love being here. I’ve done two years. I’ve got one more year to go.
“Dermot and Michael and I had a conversation over the summer on where we were at and where it sits with myself and everything else and I said I’m very happy here.
“There are conditions we want in to be able to improve and be better because I’m not the type of manager who is good at maintaining anything.
“If it’s just something to maintain, I’m not the manager for Celtic. It’ll be someone else. But to build and grow and develop and push, then, of course, I love being at Celtic.
“When that time comes, when the club offer me a deal or not, then it doesn’t make a difference to me. I’ll give everything here to the very last day.
“So, when the club feel there’s that time to make an offer then they will do, but, as I said, it’s slightly different from a manager’s perspective to a player.
“Players and clubs need to ensure they’re tied in especially at this time of the year when there’s maybe only six months left.
“It’s slightly different for a manager, but it doesn’t change my hunger and desire here for the work.”
As he geared up for Flag Day, Rodgers, speaking to Celtic TV, continued: “We’re very much looking forward to the competitive season getting underway. We’ve obviously had very good preparation both here at Lennoxtown and on our travels.
“We played some great games and the players are in a really good place. They have worked ever so hard and we have played some high-quality opponents.
“But now it’s all for a purpose and a reason looking ahead to the weekend.
“I think that all of our games in pre-season were really, really good for us. My only disappointment if I was being critical was the second-half against Ajax.
“But, apart from that, I thought we were very good in the games. We built our fitness up from that first evening at Queen’s Park. We worked our way through it and we have finished in a really good place.
“There has been a lot of planning and preparation, but it was a really enjoyable pre-season.”
The curtain came down on the league last season with a 1-1 stalemate against the Paisley Saints before Rodgers and his players were presented with their fourth successive title.
The Hoops gaffer is ready for another test and added: “As we saw on the last game, St Mirren make it really tough and difficult.
“I have a big admiration for Stephen Robinson. His teams are always well organised. But, for us, this is our first game at home and we really want to lay a marker down in terms of how we want to perform this season.
“Competition brings intensity, both from the players and from the supporters.
“The season starts on Sunday and we are really looking forward to it. We want to put on a performance, get the points and move on to the next game.”
