Rodgers talks but he’s not telling the story

It has all worked out for Brendan Rodgers.  He could have fallen on his face at Leicester, instead, he sits second in the league, above Pep the Perfect, and is talked about for jobs in Manchester and North London.  As far as career development moves go, you have to hand it to him.  His next contract, which will come soon, is likely to be four times his rate at Celtic.

None of this justifies what he did.  Not the problems of his own creation in August last year, when he jeopardised our Champions League qualification efforts to create a faux exit narrative, nor leaving us with indiscreet haste, two days before a Premiership visit to Tynecastle and a weekend Scottish Cup-tie at Easter Road.  The move was right for him, which is all that mattered.

Maybe I’ve seen too many of them come and go to be bothered by it anymore.  Jock Stein knocked back Manchester United to remain at Celtic, but they are all careerists now, all of them.  It takes more than talent to make it to the top of the game.  You also need incredible commitment and a level of self-sacrifice that only comes if you are motivated to achieve personal success.  You will not go through the daily pain of training until your lungs burn and your body aches for thousands of people you may never meet, and who will occasionally shout abuse at you.

Yesterday he spoke to the press about his exit from Celtic.  I am happy to listen to his story but it is clearly too soon for him to be frank.  I’ll listen when he tells us why he was happy to throw away our Champions League qualification campaign to engineer an exit.