Brendan Rodgers' last Celtic team and how it compares to what he'll inherit from Ange

It’s over four years since Brendan Rodgers left Celtic but the Northern Irishman is on the verge of a sensational return.

A week is a long time in football, never mind four years and there have been plenty of changes at the club since Rodgers left for Leicester City in 2019. At least on the pitch. Peter Lawwell retired then came back again, Michael Nicholson is CEO although has long been on the Parkhead club’s board. The Hops are back in the group stages of the Champions League and have fresh treble tucked away in the cabinet.

But on the pitch, they are almost unrecognisable. Ange Postecoglou signed 29 different players during his two years in the hot seat. The vast majority were ready made for the first team and his success rate was high. By comparison, Neil Lennon signed 20 in the two years he was in charge between Rodgers leaving and Ange arriving. Of those, only four are still at the club and Vasilis Barkas will be gone soon enough.

But the difference is stark when you see the final team Rodgers picked as Celtic manager and what is available to him now. Record Sport takes a look at the team that beat Motherwell 4-1 at home back in February 2019 and how it compares to the current crop.

The keeper recently signed a new deal but is very much the third choice behind Joe Hart and Benjamin Siegrist. Being familiar to Rodgers could possibly see him bumped up to second if the new boss doesn’t fancy Siegrist as much, but he’ll not be replacing Hart any time soon.

Non-Celtic fans, and even some of the Hoops faithful could be forgiven for asking who? Played 14 games in a six month loan spell that Rodgers was only in charge for a few weeks of. Safe to say that Canadian international Alistair Johnston is an upgrade.

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