Brendan Rodgers facts for kids
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Rodgers as Leicester City manager in 2021
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 26 January 1973 | ||
| Place of birth | Carnlough, Northern Ireland | ||
| Height | 5 feet 7 inches (1.70 m) | ||
| Playing position | Defender | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Celtic (manager) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1984–1987 | Ballymena United | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1987–1990 | Ballymena United | ||
| 1990–1993 | Reading | 0 | (0) |
| 1993–1994 | Newport (Isle of Wight) | ||
| 1994–1995 | Witney Town | ||
| 1995–1996 | Newbury Town | ||
| National team | |||
| 1988 | Northern Ireland Schools | 7 | (0) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2006–2008 | Chelsea (Reserves) | ||
| 2008–2009 | Watford | ||
| 2009 | Reading | ||
| 2010–2012 | Swansea City | ||
| 2012–2015 | Liverpool | ||
| 2016–2019 | Celtic | ||
| 2019–2023 | Leicester City | ||
| 2023– | Celtic | ||
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Brendan Rodgers (born on 26 January 1973) is a football manager from Northern Ireland. He used to be a player and is now the manager of Scottish Premiership club Celtic.
Rodgers started his football journey as a defender at Ballymena United. He later joined Reading at 18. However, a knee condition meant he had to stop playing professionally when he was 20. He continued to play for smaller teams while also coaching.
After studying coaching in Spain, he was invited by famous manager José Mourinho to join Chelsea. He worked there as a youth manager and then as a reserve team manager.
In 2008, Rodgers became the manager of Watford. He then moved to his old club, Reading, in 2009. He later managed Swansea City in 2010. He led them to the Premier League, making them the first Welsh team to reach this top division.
In 2012, he became the manager of Liverpool. He guided them to a second-place finish in the league in the 2013–14 season. After leaving Liverpool in 2015, he joined Celtic in 2016. There, he had amazing success, winning many trophies, including two domestic "trebles" (winning three main competitions in one season).
He then moved to Leicester City in 2019. He helped them win the FA Cup in 2021, which was a historic win for the club. In 2023, he returned to Celtic and won his third Scottish league title in his first season back.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Brendan Rodgers was born in a small village called Carnlough in Northern Ireland. His father was a painter, and his mother volunteered for a charity. Brendan is the oldest of five brothers. One of his younger brothers, Malachy, is a country music singer.
Growing up, Brendan supported Sheffield Wednesday and Celtic. He went to Catholic schools. Sadly, he lost his mother in 2010 and his father in 2011.
Playing Career
As a teenager, Brendan played football for Northern Ireland at schoolboy level. He even played against Brazil in 1988.
He started his senior career as a defender for his local team, Ballymena United, in 1987. Three years later, when he was 18, he joined Reading. However, a knee problem meant he had to stop playing professionally at just 20 years old.
After this, Rodgers played for several non-league teams like Newport (IOW) and Witney Town. During this time, he also worked at John Lewis to support his family.
Coaching Journey
Rodgers spent a lot of time in Spain, learning different coaching styles. In 2004, José Mourinho, a famous manager, invited him to join Chelsea as their head youth coach. This happened after Mourinho's assistant, Steve Clarke, recommended him.
Two years later, Rodgers was promoted to manage Chelsea's reserve team. He stayed in that role even when other managers took over at Chelsea.
Becoming a Manager
Watford
On 24 November 2008, Rodgers left Chelsea to become the manager of Championship club Watford. He had a tough start, winning only two of his first ten games. But Watford's performance greatly improved, and he helped them finish 13th, avoiding relegation.
Reading
After helping Watford stay in the league, Rodgers became the manager of his old club, Reading, on 5 June 2009. Watford received about £500,000 for him to move. Some Watford fans were upset, but they still wished him well.
Rodgers' first win for Reading was a big 5–1 victory in the League Cup. However, after a good start in the league, results became disappointing. He left Reading by mutual agreement on 16 December, only six months after joining.
Swansea City
Rodgers became the manager of Swansea City on 16 July 2010. He had a very successful start. In February 2011, he was named the EFL Championship Manager of the Month because Swansea won five out of six games and kept four clean sheets.
On 16 May 2011, Rodgers led Swansea to the Championship Play-Off final. They beat his old club Reading 4–2 at Wembley Stadium. This win meant Swansea became the first Welsh team ever to be promoted to the Premier League. Rodgers was praised for comforting the Reading manager and owner after the game.
Swansea's first Premier League win came on 17 September 2011. They beat West Bromwich Albion 3–0. Many people thought Swansea would be relegated, but they had a very impressive first season. They earned points against big teams like Liverpool and Chelsea. In January 2012, Rodgers won his first Premier League Manager of the Month award. He signed a new contract to stay at Swansea until 2015.
Liverpool
First Season (2012–13)
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On 1 June 2012, Brendan Rodgers became the new manager of Liverpool. He signed a three-year contract. Even Real Madrid manager José Mourinho supported his appointment. Rodgers wrote an open letter to Swansea fans, thanking them for his time there.
His first competitive game for Liverpool was a 1–0 win in the UEFA Europa League. His first league win was a 5–2 victory against Norwich City. In October, Liverpool lost 3–1 to his former club Swansea in the League Cup.
Liverpool finished seventh in the Premier League in his first season. This was one spot higher than the year before.
Nearly Winning the League (2013–14)
At the start of the 2013–14 season, Rodgers was named Premier League Manager of the Month for August. Liverpool won their first three league games. He won the award again in March 2014, as Liverpool won all five of their games that month and went to the top of the Premier League.
Liverpool had an amazing run of 11 straight wins. This put them five points clear at the top with only three games left. However, they then lost 2–0 at home to Chelsea. This result gave Manchester City the advantage in the title race. In their next game, Liverpool led Crystal Palace 3–0 with 11 minutes to go, but the game ended 3–3.
Liverpool finished the season as Premier League runners-up, just two points behind Manchester City. They scored 101 league goals, which was a huge achievement. Rodgers was named the LMA Manager of the Year, the first Liverpool manager to win this award. He signed a new four-year contract in May 2014.
Later Seasons and Departure (2014–15 & 2015–16)
In the 2014–15 UEFA Champions League, Liverpool were knocked out in the group stage. They then dropped into the Europa League but were eliminated in the round of 32. In April 2015, Liverpool lost to Aston Villa in the FA Cup semi-final.
Liverpool finished sixth in the Premier League. This meant Rodgers was the first Liverpool manager since the 1950s not to win a trophy after three seasons.
On 4 October 2015, after a 1–1 draw with Everton, Rodgers was sacked. Liverpool was in tenth place at the time. He later said it was an "honour and a privilege" to manage the club.
Some of the players Rodgers signed for Liverpool include Philippe Coutinho, Roberto Firmino, and James Milner.
Celtic
First Stint (2016–2019)
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Rodgers became manager of Scottish Premiership champions Celtic on 20 May 2016. In his first competitive game, Celtic surprisingly lost 1–0 to Lincoln Red Imps from Gibraltar. However, Celtic won the second leg 3–0. On 23 August 2016, Celtic qualified for the Champions League group stage for the first time in three years.
On 27 November 2016, Rodgers won his first trophy as a manager when Celtic beat Aberdeen 3–0 in the Scottish League Cup. This was Celtic's 100th major trophy.
On 31 December 2016, Rodgers became the first Celtic manager to win his first three games against rivals Rangers. This put Celtic 19 points clear in the league.
On 2 April 2017, Celtic won their sixth league title in a row by beating Hearts 5–0. Five days later, Rodgers signed a new four-year contract.
Celtic finished the 2016–17 season undefeated in all domestic competitions. They were the first Scottish team to do this since 1899. On 27 May 2017, Celtic won the Scottish Cup, completing a domestic treble.
In the 2017–18 season, Rodgers guided Celtic to a 4–0 victory over St Johnstone. This meant Celtic were unbeaten for 63 domestic games, breaking a 100-year British record. On 26 November 2017, he won his fourth trophy in a row as Celtic beat Motherwell in the Scottish League Cup. This unbeaten run ended after 69 games with a 4–0 loss to Hearts.
On 29 April 2018, Rodgers secured his second league title with Celtic, beating Rangers 5–0. The season ended with Rodgers winning the first "Double Treble" in Scottish football history. This meant winning the treble in two seasons in a row.
In February 2019, with Celtic leading the league by eight points, Rodgers left the club to join Leicester City in the English Premier League.
Leicester City
Time at Leicester (2019–2023)
Rodgers became Leicester City's manager in February 2019. His first game was a 2–1 defeat against his former club Watford. However, in his first home game, Leicester won 3–1 against Fulham.
On 6 December 2019, Rodgers signed a new contract until 2025. At that time, his team had won 7 games in a row and were second in the Premier League. In his first full season, Rodgers led Leicester to fifth place, which meant they qualified for the UEFA Europa League.
In September 2020, Leicester beat Manchester City 5–2 away from home. Rodgers was the first manager whose team scored five goals against a team managed by Pep Guardiola. In Europe, Leicester won their Europa League group but were later knocked out by Slavia Prague.
On 15 May 2021, Rodgers led Leicester City to win their first ever FA Cup title. They beat Chelsea 1–0 in the final. Leicester finished fifth in the league again, just missing out on a Champions League spot.
In the 2021–22 season, Leicester reached their first ever European semi-final in the UEFA Europa Conference League. They lost 2–1 on aggregate to Roma, who were managed by his former colleague José Mourinho.
Leicester had a tough start to the 2022–23 season, losing seven of their first ten league games. Rodgers left Leicester by mutual agreement on 2 April 2023. Leicester was later relegated at the end of the season.
Return to Celtic
On 19 June 2023, Brendan Rodgers returned to Celtic, signing a three-year contract. He said he was very happy to be back.
Celtic started the 2023–24 season with a 4–2 win. Despite some criticism, Celtic took an early lead in the Scottish Premiership. In the Champions League, they finished bottom of their group. However, they won their first home game in the competition since 2013, beating Feyenoord 2–1.
In February 2024, Rodgers talked about the title race against Rangers. He was also criticised for calling a female journalist a "good girl," but the journalist defended him. In March 2024, he received a one-match ban for criticising match officials.
Management Style
Rodgers believes his teams should keep possession of the ball. He likes them to play a flowing, attacking game with lots of passing. When defending, he wants his team to put a lot of pressure on the opponents.
His Liverpool team in the 2013–14 season often changed their formation. Steven Gerrard, a famous Liverpool player, said Rodgers' one-on-one management was the best he had ever seen.
Personal Life
Brendan Rodgers has two children from his first marriage: a son named Anton, who is also a footballer, and a daughter named Mischa. He also has a stepdaughter, Lola, with his current wife, Charlotte Searle, whom he married in 2017.
He has been a Celtic fan since he was a boy. In March 2019, thieves broke into his home in Glasgow and stole family items and medals he won at Celtic.
In June 2011, Rodgers climbed Mount Kilimanjaro to raise money for a cancer charity. He did this in honour of his mother and father, who both passed away from cancer. In 2014, he received an honorary degree from the University of Ulster.
His nickname is "Buck Rodgers," after a comic strip character.
In May 2020, Rodgers shared that he and his wife had tested positive for COVID-19 in March of that year. They both recovered fully.
Honours
Manager
Swansea City
- Football League Championship play-offs: 2011
Celtic
- Scottish Premiership: 2016–17, 2017–18, 2023–24
- Scottish Cup: 2016–17, 2017–18, 2023–24
- Scottish League Cup: 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2024–25
Leicester City
- FA Cup: 2020–21
- FA Community Shield: 2021
Individual Awards
- LMA Manager of the Year: 2013–14
- PFA Scotland Manager of the Year: 2016–17
- SFWA Manager of the Year: 2016–17
- Scottish Premiership Manager of the Season: 2016–17, 2017–18
- Premier League Manager of the Month: January 2012, August 2013, March 2014
- Football League Championship Manager of the Month: February 2011
- Scottish Premiership Manager of the Month: August 2016, October 2016, December 2016, April 2017, September 2017
Images for kids
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Rodgers with Celtic in 2018
