Brendan Rodgers teased by Martin O’Neill over Celtic exit | OneFootball

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers was teased over his exit from the club in February 2019 by Martin O’Neill. The Treble winning Celtic managers sat down for an interview with Prime Sport ahead of Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League clash with Bayern Munich.

Ahead of the second leg meeting in Germany, Rodgers was asked about how he was enjoying his second spell at the club, having dramatically left for Leicester City. “Clearly when I was here the first time I had a great spell and then probably more in my own mind, in terms of football I felt maybe I’d taken Celtic as far as I could…”

O’Neill interrupted Brendan and teased him over the exit, which was delivered by the legendary manager with a wry smile.

“No – you just wanted to leave young man! “You just wanted to leave – that’s the point.”

Amazon host Alex Aljoe quipped that the pair should “take that conversation off camera” in order to avoid derailing the interview.

Martin O’Neill, former Celtic manager looks on prior to the Scottish Cup Semi Final match between theRangers and Celtic at Hampden Park on April 30, 2023. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Rodgers managed to find his composure and moved beyond the troublesome comments by O’Neill, reflecting on the hurt that his exit caused and what fuelled his return to the club.

“I felt that I had taken the club from a football perspective as far as I could and probably with my football mind moved on to Leicester and and loved time at Leicester.

“But I always felt that and and I should have I really should have known better.

“I think that it was only really when I left that I realised what me leaving meant – not in an arrogant way but in a way that it hurt people and I should have known that, being a Celtic supporter.

“But I was more thinking football and a more football move.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers is seen during the Premiership match between Celtic and Dundee United at Celtic Park on February 15, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

“I was conscious I had hurt people when I left and I wanted to make sure that when I came back that I recognised and realised it is more than that as a Celtic manager because it is people’s lives.

“The love and passion for Celtic is incredible and what I did when I left didn’t sit well with me.

“I didn’t want that to be my legacy.”

Rodgers and his Celtic team can write another piece in the club’s history by getting a result at the Allianz Arena and securing a place in the Last 16 of the competition. If the European campaign is to end this week, it has been an impressive display from the team, clearly showing growth as a unit under Rodgers.

The manager will be planning for a return to the UCL next season but he will be hoping to spark an upset in Bavaria tomorrow evening.