BRENDAN RODGERS has told Charlie Mulgrew he wants him to remain at Celtic and he WILL be offered a new deal.
The versatile 30-year-old international defender is the only first team player out of contract and has been linked with West Brom, Bournemouth, Derby and Hull City.
As CQN reported on May 18, Mulgrew stated emphatically he wanted to remain at the five-in-a-row champions and try to add to his Hoops medal collection.
He said: “It was brilliant to take a call from the new gaffer. I’ve always said I’m happy at Celtic, that I love playing for the club and that I wanted to get things sorted out.
“That hasn’t changed, so it’s great to have Brendan Rodgers tell me directly he wants to keep me. He texted me late on Tuesday night and then we had a conversation on Wednesday afternoon which was fantastic.
“Nothing has been agreed, we still need to sit around the table and agree a contract But we had a good chat, and, hopefully, we can now get things sorted out.”
Mulgrew, who is the only Celt in Gordon Strachan’s Scotland squad for the forthcoming friendlies against Italy and France, added: “Last week, when Brendan Rodgers was named as manager, I just thought: ‘Wow!’.
“I wanted to stay at Celtic before I knew he was taking over, but his appointment only made me more desperate.
“Obviously, his name had been linked with the job for a while, but I didn’t think it was going to be possible to get him. However, he’s here and I think he’s just what Celtic need. It’s exciting times and his arrival is a huge scalp for the club.
“It’s a massive statement by the club and shows great ambition. Every fan you speak to in the street is really excited and I think him coming to Celtic will bring everyone together.
“The players, the staff, everybody, will be boosted and that can only be a good thing.
“His teams always play football in the right way with the ball on the deck — and that’s what the supporters want. That’s the Celtic way, the way our club has always played traditionally, so I think he fits perfectly.
“We have a lot of good players in the squad and I can’t think of anyone who will be unhappy with his appointment. I watched his press conference on the day he was unveiled and he was talking about being successful in Scotland, but also in the Champions League. That’s the kind of stuff everyone associated with Celtic wants to hear.
“Whether it’s a fan or a player, that’s what we all want. So, hopefully, that’s what the ambitions are and everyone pushes towards that.”
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Not long now to Father’s Day – why not get your dad a copy of Charlie Gallagher’s new book? Charlie has signed some copies and we are also offering a FREE copy of The Winds of Change with your order. Winds of Change covers an eventful period in Celtic’s history from Liam Brady taking over as manager until Martin O’Neill leaves.
Simply order the Charlie Gallagher book HERE and we’ll automatically include The Winds of Change for you.
