Rodgers plays down link to Gerrard

Brendan Rodgers has played down claims that he wants to sign Steven Gerrard following his appointment as Celtic manager.

Rodgers was officially unveiled to Celtic fans yesterday as 13,000 people came to welcome the Irishman and show their support.

The two linked up at Liverpool when Rodgers took over and came within touching distance of winning the Premier League – only for it to slip away in the closing games.

As quoted by the Glasgow Evening Times, he said:

I’ve never even considered anything like that. Stevie is a very good player and I’ve never thought about that.

Stevie’s an incredible man and was an incredible captain for me at Liverpool and if he decides to leave in the summer or when he finishes in LA he will have a number of options.

But it’s not even been a consideration at this moment.

Celtic and Rodgers agreed to a 12-month rolling contract last week and the former Liverpool and Swansea beamed with enthusiasm at yesterday’s press conference for his boyhood club.

Rodgers also said he will contact former Celtic managers Martin O’Neill and Neil Lennon who spent a total of nine years in charge Paradise.

Both managers were successful in guiding the Hoops to the latter stages of European football, and the target for Rodgers is no different.

I look at Martin O’Neill, he was here for five years. Neil Lennon was here for four seasons. So you want to bring success to the club and however long that takes, you want that opportunity.

Time is the big thing you want as a manager, but ultimately you don’t get that. You’ve got to win games and you’ve got to perform.

But at the moment, I’ve got no thoughts of Celtic being a stepping stone and moving back into the Premier League.

The 43-year-old will get to work immediately on weighing up his options with the current squad of players at Celtic.

Rodgers did admit that he likes working with a small group of players, which also gives youth players an opportunity, and could see a number of players leave the club this summer and beyond as he begins to mould his team.