Celtic departure vindicated, says Rodgers as Leicester close in on Champions League

Robin Bairner

• Updated: 19 May 2021 15:43 BST
• 2 min read

Brendan Rodgers believes that the Premier League form that his Leicester side have shown this season has vindicated his decision to leave Celtic.

Rodgers departed the Scottish Premiership side in 2019 after two-and-a-half years in charge at Parkhead.

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It was, however, a decision that was greeted with criticism from sections of the Celtic support, who felt that he was taking a step backwards in his career.

However, Rodgers has inspired Leicester into a strong position in the Premier League, with the Foxes sitting comfortably in third and heading for Champions League football after overcoming Crystal Palace 2-1 on Monday.

And for the former Liverpool boss, that is evidence that the decision he made a couple of years ago was the correct one.

‘I’ve enjoyed every minute at Leicester’ – Rodgers

“I’ve always said it was such a tough decision for me to leave Celtic,” he told Sky Sports. “I was a Celtic supporter growing up. But what I couldn’t do was let my heart rule my head. I felt that I needed the next challenge.

“Celtic is a huge institution and I loved every second I was there. But I felt that coming to a club like Leicester, my challenge was could we disrupt the top six?

“I knew that financially we couldn’t compete, but I knew that the club was very well run.

“Could we set a team out on the field to be competitive?

“Gradually, we’ve created an identity and a mentality, and we’re looking to challenge. It’s something I’ve enjoyed every minute of since I’ve been here.”

Rodgers’ Leicester have a seven-point cushion over fifth placed West Ham with only five matches of the campaign remaining.