Callum McGregor hopes Brendan Rodgers’ legacy at Celtic is properly celebrated

Celtic captain Callum McGregor claims Brendan Rodgers’ legacy at Parkhead stretches beyond the 11 trophies he won in two spells as manager.

McGregor believes Rodgers transformed the culture of the club when he succeeded Ronny Deila in 2016, winning a perfect seven domestic trophies before departing for Leicester.

Celtic went on to make it 12 in a row under Neil Lennon and 21 out of 27 major Scottish honours since Rodgers first arrived, and can go another step towards making that 22 if they beat Rangers in the Premier Sports Cup semi-finals on Sunday.

Principal shareholder Dermot Desmond launched a scathing assessment of Rodgers’ recent behaviour when the club announced the manager’s departure on Monday, amid a breakdown in relations with the board following long-running tensions over transfer dealings.

But the 52-year-old remains the third most decorated Celtic manager of all time behind Willie Maley and Jock Stein.

McGregor said: “Hopefully he’ll be judged on what he’s done for the club. Going back 10 years, he changed the landscape of this club massively.

“Everybody looks for reasons why we were so successful even after he left the first time. It was because of the values and the work ethic that he instilled. That’s carried us right through a long period of time.

“He’s come back, he’s added more success to that. Unfortunately, in football, everything comes to an end. Everybody would love to have the fairytale ending, but very rarely in football does that happen.

“If you look at Joe Hart, that’s probably the best ending I’ve ever seen at Celtic (winning the Scottish Cup final against Rangers in the last minute). That’s once over however many years I’ve been here.

“As long as you’re working for a football club, you try and give as much as you can, try and be as successful as you can for yourself and your club. Then when you move on, that is life.

“As a club, we have a lot to thank him for. We wish him well, of course. He was amazing for my career and has done so much for me.

“I’m sure whatever he does next, he’ll be a big success as well.”

Assistant manager John Kennedy also left on Monday without much fanfare, before Celtic confirmed his departure in a brief statement on Wednesday.

The former Hoops defender served on the coaching staff for more than 15 years and was assistant manager to Lennon, Ange Postecoglou and Rodgers.

“Kendo’s contribution over the last 25 years that he’s been at the club has been incredible,” McGregor said.

“Assistant manager to three or four different managers, and has always been the one constant for the players, the staff, everyone. He was someone you could rely on in difficult times.

“I also don’t think he got the credit that he deserved. To be at this club for such a long time and do the job that he did, it was outstanding, and there is a big hole that will need filled.

“I think it’s right to acknowledge how big a part of the success he was because he was absolutely first-class. I think we’ll be hard pushed to find a better assistant manager. He was really top level.”