TalkSPORT presenter says Brendan Rodgers had got scared of Rangers and Steven Gerrard

Talk SPORT presenter Adrian Durham has said that Brendan Rodgers was scared by the challenge posed by Rangers and Steven Gerrard and this was probably the reason behind him leaving Celtic. The Northern Irishman had spent the past two-and-a-half seasons with the Hoops but he made the surprise exit after Leicester City offered him the opportunity to return to the Premier League.

Following the move,Rodgers indicated that the club’s ambition and calibre of players tempted him to make the switch but Durham has indicated otherwise. Speaking on Talk SPORT, he suggested that Rodgers was probably afraid of Rangers leapfrogging Celtic in the near future and that may have urged him to pursue a fresh challenge elsewhere.

He said: “I think he’s actually scared of Steven Gerrard. The fact that Rangers beat Celtic just after Christmas, that’s a worrying sign for Brendan Rodgers. We all know Celtic will win the title but if you look at how much they’ve win the title by, that’s the key.The gap with Rangers is getting closer and closer. He doesn’t want to be the guy who’s in charge when Rangers overtake Celtic. It’s a little bit about bottle and a bit about managing your own career but I think Gerrard has got him running scared a little bit and that’s why he’s coming to Leicester.”

Rodgers had helped the Hoops to seven straight trophies on the bounce but he felt that it was time to pursue a bigger challenge, given the club’s hierarchy were not showing the ambition to progress further. Despite the regular Champions League football and player sales, the board never really looked to make big-money signings and this may have eventually contributed to Rodgers parting ways.  Meanwhile, Celtic have instantly recruited Neil Lennon on an interim managerial role and the move has certainly pleased the supporters, who were frustrated with the nature of Rodgers’ exit.