Brendan Rodgers hails 'brave' Celtic supremo Dermot Desmond as boss lifts the lid on crunch talks over next season

Brendan Rodgers has hailed Parkhead supremo Dermot Desmond for having the guts to bring him back – and sticking with him during the tough times.

The Celtic boss will get his hands on the Premiership trophy on Saturday after the Hoops wrapped up the title in style at Kilmarnock in midweek. Rodgers admitted it was a big call from Desmond to tempt him back to Scotland with a section of fans still unhappy about the manner of his departure for Leicester City in 2019.

There were also periods of pressure this season when Celtic’s title bid seemed to falter. But Rodgers is grateful he’s always had the backing of the Parkhead powerbroker. He said: “The support I’ve been given has been unwavering right throughout the season. I’ll always think a lot of Dermot bringing me back, because that was a brave decision from him and the board to take me back, knowing it maybe wasn’t going to be universally acclaimed bringing me back, no matter how successful I had been.

“But they had the foresight and the acumen to be able to convince me to come back, and I’m so glad that I did do. You then have to deal with those situations like you said, but it’s all worth it. I wouldn’t change it, because it makes me a better coach and a better manager having to go through what I have gone through this season. I know that we will be back bigger and stronger for next season.”

Rodgers revealed he’s already plotting with Desmond for next season with the new look Champions League high on his hit list. He said: “We’d a really positive board meeting this morning. So we’re planning and looking forward and that’s always the case. But that’s not for now.

“We’ll have all summer to talk about the transfers and everything else. We’re very clear on what it is that we need to do to improve. The club works in a way that allows it to be sustainable. But we also want to progress on the field. That’s something that we’ll all be aligned with.”

Rodgers will put squad building on the back burner for now as he’s determined to enjoy trophy day at Celtic Park on Saturday lunchtime ahead of next weekend’s Old Firm Scottish Cup Final showdown. The 51-year-old wants to sign off the season in style against St Mirren and hit 93 points for a campaign he joked has been branded a ‘disaster’ at times.

He said: “I think the atmosphere will be amazing on Saturday. Sometimes you can win these titles with a little bit of time away, and then by the time you get to trophy day, it's still a special day, but it feels as if you'd won the league a lot earlier. This will make it extra special, with having clinched it on Wednesday, then not having so long to wait for the game.

“I like us to play well in these moments. It's a celebration, of course, but I want us to play well. There are still three points to play for and finish the season on a real high. Listen, it’s not been easy – for everyone – not just me. There’s been a bit of a surreal feeling around it all.

“I think as we’ve gone along, you build that trust again. We stay aggressive and that’s when we are at our best. We’ve still got work to do this season. We have two more games and we want to finish well tomorrow in front of our supporters.

“We can finish off with 93 points and add to our goal tally for what has been a ‘disastrous’ storyline that’s been created. It’s some bench mark that we’ve set. The we have a Scottish Cup Final which I’m so excited about.”