Brendan Rodgers resigns as Celtic coach as O’Neill returns

Rodgers agreed to a three-year contract upon his return and has repeatedly stressed that he will honor the contract since his previous departure in February 2019 caused much rancor.

When asked about extending this agreement in August, he insisted that there had been no formal offer.

But Desmond has now given his side of events, saying the club was keen to keep Rodgers on after the end of this season to “reaffirm the club’s full support and long-term commitment to him”.

The Irish businessman went on to say that Rodgers’ assertion that no bid would be made was “not true”.

This season was held against the backdrop of anti-board protests at Celtic Park and Desmond Rodgers was accused of contributing to a “toxic atmosphere”.

Another feature of the opening months of this term is Rodgers’ apparent dissatisfaction with the transfer business, with several references to disappointing recruitment over the summer.

Speaking after the 2-0 loss to Dundee on October 19, he said: “There’s no way you can go to a race and get the keys to a Honda Civic and say ‘I want you to drive it like a Ferrari’. It’s not going to happen.”

But Desmond wrote: “Every player signed and every player sold during his tenure did so with Brendan’s full knowledge, approval and endorsement. Any suggestion otherwise is completely false.”

“His subsequent public statements about transfers and club operations came as a surprise. At no time prior to those statements did he raise any such concerns.

“Indeed, he had the final say on all football matters and was constantly supported in the recruitment process, including the record investment in players he personally identified and approved.”

“What has failed in recent times has not been due to our structure or model, but to the desire of one individual for self-preservation at the expense of others.”