Brendan Rodgers has talks with Celtic’s major shareholder Dermot Desmond | OneFootball

Brendan Rodgers has confirmed that he has held talks with Celtic’s major shareholder Dermot Desmond over the summer – but rather than providing the clarity supporters crave, the manager’s comments may have only deepened the fog…

Brendan Rodgers. Queen’s Park 0-1 Celtic. 4 July 2025. Photo by Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

With Rodgers now entering the final year of his current deal at the club, reports from the Daily Record suggested that a face-to-face meeting took place this summer – we could speculate that came while the team were in Cork for the recent friendly against Cork City – a rare opportunity with Desmond also in attendance.

Speaking on the matter, Rodgers said – “Yes, we spoke with all the guys. I had a meal and a chat around a number of things. So, yes, I had a nice meet. We touched base on it. But it is primarily just a chat around things. Like I said, it’s still a long, long way out.”

That admission confirms what many may have suspected – that discussions did indeed happen. But in typical Celtic fashion, it appears nothing is anywhere near being finalised. There was no certainty, no reassurance. Just the vague suggestion that something was discussed – but no timeline, no commitment, and crucially, no clarity.

Brendan Rodgers manager of Celtic meets fans before the game Cork City v Celtic, Pre Season Friendly, Football, SuperValu Pairc Ui Chaoimh, Cork, Ireland – 0 Jul 2025Cork SuperValu Pairc Ui Chaoimh Ireland Photo Lorraine O’Sullivan Shutterstock

Of course, it could well be that Rodgers’ statement is just the carefully polished, media-trained way of saying absolutely nothing at all. A vague nod to discussions, dressed up as openness, but ultimately offering no real insight or commitment. It could simply be the classic deflection – say enough to sound engaged, but not enough to be held to anything. And while that might buy time in a media meet, it may not wash with a support base that’s been here before and knows how these things tend to play out.

Rodgers continued – “But my focus is really just now getting the team ready and making us really competitive and exciting for this coming season. But a year’s a long, long way out.”

A year may sometimes feel like a short time in football, but when it comes to managerial security, it’s anything but. Supporters aren’t naïve. We’ve been here before. And whether it’s drawn-out contract talks, or the inevitable rumours of mid-season exit to the Premier League or La Liga, the silence around Rodgers’ long-term status creates more noise than it silences.

Greg Taylor of Celtic FC during the UEFA Champions League match between Borussia Dortmund and Celtic FC at the Signal Iduna Park on October. 01, 2024. Photo ANP Sport, Bart Stoutjesdijk

We have just spent what felt like an eternity for Greg Taylor and Celtic to decide one way or another if a new deal was going to be signed, after a year of ‘will he, won’t he’ amidst silence from the player and the club. It’s a bit odd we’d now let our manager do it, knowing fine well the speculation wouldn’t just be tiresome and repetitive like the Taylor saga was, this one could be a hundred times worse – because it could be used to unsettle this club – and there are plenty waiting for such an opportunity.

“No, not at all. I think that I have to earn my place here at Celtic. And that’s what I felt when I came back. And it’s no different. It wouldn’t matter to me if it was one year, one week or ten years. I’d be super motivated to progress the team and keep us moving forward.”

Celtic Manager Brendan Rodgers applauds the fans at full-time. Celtic v Hibernian, Scottish Premiership, 10 May 2025 Photo Stuart Wallace/Shutterstock

That may well be true – and few question Rodgers’ work ethic or tactical acumen. But. It does matter how long is left on a contract. Not just for him, but for the club, for the players, and for the fans. Because without it, the void gets filled with guesswork, rumour, and the kind of speculation that serves as a distraction to what should be a laser-focus on the season ahead.

It might be quiet now, in pre-season calm. But as each matchday comes and goes without a resolution, the whispering grows louder. Is Brendan staying? Is this his last dance? Does the club even want to extend, and who might be in the ‘Yes’ camp, and who is in the ‘No’ camp behind the scenes?

And let’s be honest, if the intention is for Rodgers to serve out his three years and then ride into the sunset – reputation and legacy rehabilitated after the 2019 exit – then fine. But say it. Don’t leave the support in the dark for a season of uncertainty and sideshow.

The reality is, Celtic fans are again left to speculate – perhaps all the way to May 2026 – because again the club’s communication is lacking. Radio silence on everything from transfers, to strategy, to managerial futures… unless, of course, it’s time to flog the latest Adidas toilet break wind jacket or hospital visit bucket hat. Then it’s all systems go.

Brendan Rodgers and the Celtic players post-match. theRangers v Celtic, 4 May 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

If Brendan Rodgers thought his words would allay fears, it is unlikely they will. Yes, talks may have happened, possibly, kind of, perhaps. But the need for transparency, for a clear signal of direction and commitment, remains unmet, and the worry this is the manager’s last year continues.

This surely needs to be concluded. And preferably it needs to be done soon. A new contract is not just a vote of confidence in the manager – it’s a statement to the fans, the dressing room, and the wider football world that Celtic are stable, united, and focused on the long term. Anything less risks turning this season into a sideshow of speculation – and that’s something nobody wants. Ideally this must be resolved by the end of the transfer window at the latest, and it may well be Rodgers is waiting to see if he’s suitably backed before he commits, as such that surely must be the line in the sand.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers beside the trophy after the Scottish Premiership match between Celtic and St Mirren at Celtic Park on May 17, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Leave it any longer, and it risks becoming a season-long distraction. If results dip, the uncertainty only adds pressure – on Rodgers, on the players, and on the club. And if he’s already indicated to the board that he plans to walk next June, does he owe that same honesty to the dressing room? To the fans?

It would be poor form to keep everyone in the dark. Celtic, it seems, have walked themselves into a needless and possibly a messy situation here, and the longer it drags on, the worse it gets.

Is it really too much to ask for clarity, instead of cryptic calm?

Niall J

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