"We set out to win the game," Brendan Rodgers

Brendan Rodgers spoke to the media this evening at Villa Park ahead of tonight’s final group stage match in the Champions League between two former European Champions…

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers during the UEFA Champions League training on January 28, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Q: Do you have a squad update for us?

Brendan Rodgers: “Yeah, Cameron Carter-Vickers is out of the game, he’ll be okay for the weekend, we’re pretty sure, but he just felt something in the last game, so no need to risk him. James Forrest is still out, but apart from that, we’re okay.”

Q: Talk to us about the emotions and the excitement ahead of this one?

Brendan Rodgers: “Yeah, it’s a brilliant game. Listen, for us, it’s a great achievement to be in the top 24, I think, if you look at the economics of it all and at this level. For the players, they’ve been fantastic, they’ve stayed with the idea, they’ve worked very, very hard and what we set out to do, which was to firstly arrive in the play-offs, the players have done that, so it’s great. But our job’s not complete in this series of eight games, we come here to a great venue against a fantastic team, but we want to come and play to the level that we know we can do, so we’re really looking forward to it.”

Unai Emery, Manager of Aston Villa speaks to the media ahead of the match with Celtic in the UEFA Champions League at Bodymoor Heath training ground on January 28, 2025. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)

Q: What sort of challenges are you expecting tomorrow night against Unai Emery’s team?

Brendan Rodgers: “Firstly, I think Unai has done a brilliant job here, I’ve never obviously spoken about that, but I think it’s testament to the job he’s done since he’s come in. His body of work over many years has been top class, but you can see here that he feels wanted, he feels appreciated and you see what he’s doing with the players in the league and what they’ve done in the Champions League this season. So, we know that we’re playing against his team, which is a very, very good side, very strong in counter-attack, defend very, very well, got some brilliant players, but it’s a challenge that we’re looking forward to.

Les 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗽𝗮𝘀 de Kyogo en Rouge et Noir 👣 pic.twitter.com/gke30PA2Ks

— Stade Rennais F.C. (@staderennais) January 29, 2025

Q: Kyogo’s now away from the club, obviously, how does that impact things for you from now going forward?

Brendan Rodgers: “Clearly, again, he’s been a real iconic player for the club, he’s done absolutely brilliant in his time, so it’s about getting a replacement. I think I’ve made that clear, he’s a player that has done a great job, he wanted to leave, we have to move on from that and now we have to look to the next player to come in.”

Q: Are you confident that that will happen?

Brendan Rodgers: “Well, there’s a lot of work going on behind the scenes. Like I said, we’ve known for a number of months what it was going to look like. Clearly, we wouldn’t have wanted to have sold him, certainly not at this point, but he made it clear he wanted to move and when that’s the case, then we have to find the best solution for the club. The club will work very hard and we’ll look to get in an able replacement.”

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Referee Rohit Saggi shows a red card to Daizen Maeda during the UEFA Champions League match between Celtic FC and BSC Young Boys at Celtic Park on January 22, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Q: With Daizen Maeda also out, as well as Kyogo’s exit and Carter-Vickers out, how confident are you that you have the squad to cope with those absences?

Brendan Rodgers: “Yes, I’m confident. Listen, of course, those, like you say, Daizen and Kyogo have been a big reference to how this team has played, with the speed and the attack that we’ve had and what we’ve demonstrated a lot through the season. So, of course, missing those two, obviously players that make the difference, but we’ve got other players that can come in and it’s an opportunity for them to come in and show that they can perform at this level. And that’s what it’s about as a Celtic player. You want to come and play in these great arenas against fantastic teams and for us, the players will get the opportunity to do that. And between now and the end of the market, we hope that we can reinforce the squad and keep the squad improving.”

Alex Valle in Como colours. Photo social media (Fabrizio Romano)

Q: Can you confirm the news that Alex Valle will be on his way out?

Brendan Rodgers: “Yes, Alex won’t play again, sadly. He’s in Barcelona now at the moment and he will probably then move on to another team. So, yes, again, another young player that’s contributed really well for us, played nearly 20 appearances for us, played in some very important games, made his Champions League debut. Especially in Atalanta, he was fantastic, played in really important games. So, we’re disappointed that he’s left, but we have to move on.

Kieran Tierney applauds the Celtic support after the 3-0 win over Albion Rovers in the Scottish cup on 22 January 2017. Photo Vagelis Georgariou

Q: Does that potentially speed up the move for Kieran Tierney?

Brendan Rodgers: “Ideally it would, but he’s still, at this moment, still an Arsenal player. I think everyone, I think we’re agreed that that will definitely take place in the summer. If we can do it beforehand, then great.

Youri Tielemans and John McGinn of Aston Villa applaud the fans after the team’s defeat during the Premier League match between Nottingham Forest FC and Aston Villa FC at City Ground on December 14, 2024. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

Q: Youri Tielemans is a player you know well. Are you looking forward to coming up against him again?

Brendan Rodgers: “Yes, he was absolutely brilliant for me. He was a young player that we spent a lot of money on, bringing him to Leicester. And I’m so pleased to see how he’s done here. I think you have certain players in your squads. He’d be very much like Callum for me, where he was a coach on the pitch for me. His view of the game was absolutely first class. And even as a really, really young player, just a real top player in his mentality, his attitude. And then we were lucky to share a really special moment of winning the FA Cup for Leicester for the first time, when he scored a brilliant goal. So, I’m so pleased to see him here now and seeing his influence, because obviously when he first came in there were other good players, and he’s obviously trying to work his way into a new club. But when I see him now play, he’s very much a leader on the pitch for Aston Villa, just how he plays the game, how he organises the players around him. And, yes, a really, really good guy who’s a top professional.

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Q: Brendan, tomorrow night’s going to be new for everyone with this new format. How do you approach the game? Is it the kind of game, given that you’ve already qualified, that you go all out for three points at any cost to try and climb the table and perhaps give yourself a more favourable draw? Or will it be a more measured away performance, like we’ve seen from you this season? Because a point could go a long way as well.

Brendan Rodgers: “Listen, it’s like what we’ve done in a lot of our games. We set out to win the game. There’ll be moments when we have to adapt in the game, of course, to their qualities and how we defend. But certainly then, when we have the ball, we want to be able to play well. Because the better we are on attack, then the less you have to defend in the game. So, for us, it’s always about the balance in our game. We set out to want to go and win the game and we’ll look to attack the game. As I said, our job is done in terms of getting into the 24, but it’s certainly not complete. This is the last of the group stage games. It’s a beautiful pitch, it’s a great arena, so we want to come and play to the best level that we can.”

Q: Do you think you’ll be looking elsewhere tomorrow night?

Brendan Rodgers: “No. Just focus on the game and then see what you’ve got full-time? Well, to be honest, it will be very, very difficult to do anything other than concentrate on the game. I won’t have a telly in my pocket or anything. I think if you’re at home watching all those games and scores, I think it’ll be great for you and all the teams playing at the same time and all the various permutations. But us as football managers and coaches, we’ll be focused on the game.”

Kieran Tierney with the Scottish Premiership Trophy. Photo Geo: The Celtic Star

Q: Brendan, just to go back to what you were saying about Tierney, that’s the first time you’ve actually said that you will be coming back. That’s a huge thing for Celtic, for the fans. Do you think there is a chance it can happen this month?

Brendan Rodgers: “I don’t know. I think that, like I said, we prepared that for the summer. I don’t want to speak too much on it, with the greatest respect, because he’s not a Celtic player here now with us. But if we were able to do it, of course, we would like to do that. But that’s out of our control at this moment in time.”

Q: Brendan, we sometimes get the feeling that Scottish football is looked down on a wee bit or questioned in England. Is a game like tomorrow night a chance to prove the quality that your own team has and the game in general in the SPFL?

Brendan Rodgers: “I think that the Premier League is the most competitive league in the world. It’s where lots of top players are, lots of top managers are. But it’s not the only league in the world. I think that there were options for me to stay in the Premier League. My choice was to go to Scotland, to Celtic. And I’m so happy that I did. OK, the competition might not be the same as what it is in the Premier League, but there’s not many teams in the Premier League that rival the pressure that comes with managing a Celtic or Rangers for that matter. But there’s always an opportunity, whether you’re playing in England or playing in Italy or France, wherever you’re playing, there’s always the opportunity for you to show your qualities as a team and as a club.”

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Aston Villa’s John McGinn during the English Premier League match between Aston Villa and Arsenal at Villa Park on August 24, 2024. (Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images)

Q: What do you make of John McGinn’s progress since Celtic were linked with him before?

Brendan Rodgers: “Yeah, I was very keen on taking John to Celtic. But listen, the move has worked out brilliant for him. Obviously, he joined Steve at the time and they were in the Championship, but he was coming to a massive club, a great club. And they then got themselves out of the Championship and he’s really thrived in the environment here. I’m so pleased for him because, like I said, the Celtic move was nearly there. But he’s come down to England and he’s been absolutely brilliant for Aston Villa. I see he’s just back fit, so he may play a part in the game tomorrow. But, no, he’s been a real instrumental player from what I see on the pitch. And obviously, off the pitch, he’s got strong character and I’m sure he’s really influenced the club.”

Q: Brendan, you mentioned a little bit about the job that Unai has done here. What’s it been like taking him on as a manager? What’s the kind of challenges of taking on one of his teams?

Brendan Rodgers: “Yes, the PSG challenge was difficult! Then, obviously, we faced it when he was at Arsenal and obviously when he was here at Aston Villa. So, no, listen, his teams are super organised. Again, I can’t praise him enough because he’s a top-class manager. He’s managed over 1,000 games already in his career. He came to England to Arsenal and it was a difficult moment for him. People may be questioning him, but you only need to look at his body of work to see he was a top-class coach. And then, like I say, he had the courage and the bravery then to come back to England. When people tried to mock him and make fun of him and his record and his work, which I found incredible at the time, but it’s been brilliant to see him come to here. And, like I said, clearly he will feel wanted.

“He feels appreciated in his work. You see the work he’s done on the pitch with the players. You sense the club was then built around the various guys and the various positions here at the club. The club has really grown in his time here. The teams themselves, they’re super organised, tactical, always in good discipline, will press the game at the right moments, will sit off on a block, and then what they have is really good players in counter-attack that can get through the lines very quickly. So, to see him evolve here and see the growth and what he’s given Aston Villa has been so, so impressive. I look forward to seeing him. I obviously met him in the PSG days and obviously with Arsenal towards the end of his time there and then obviously here at Aston Villa. So, yes, a good guy who’s done some great work at all the clubs he’s been at.”

Stuart Kettlewell Motherwell manager, photo by Vagelis Georgariou

Q: Brendan, we saw Stuart Kettlewell resign from Motherwell yesterday and he cited abuse towards him and his family. I just wanted to hear your thoughts on that as a fellow manager.

Brendan Rodgers: “Yes, it’s never nice. I’d obviously seen that news in the afternoon and Stuart’s a strong character, so it must have been a lot for him to resign from his post. Again, a young guy who’s gone into Motherwell and done a very, very good job. So, it’s sad. It’s bad enough when you lose your job in football, but to have to do it for those reasons. And I think for him, the priority is what it should be. It’s family and football. Your family comes first. And it’s obviously disappointing that it’s got to a stage where he felt that he didn’t want to continue in his work because he’s done some great work at Motherwell.”

Sondre Orjasaeter of Norway during the UEFA European Under-21 Qualifier playoff football match between Norway and Finland on November 19, 2024 in Stavanger. Photo: Marius Simensen

Q: Just very quickly, Brendan, there was a story today linking Celtic with a bid for a Norwegian winger, Sondre Orjasaeter?

Brendan Rodgers: “I’m not aware of that at all. I don’t know.”

Q: Brendan, it’s interesting to hear you say about Unai being mocked for his past achievements. Do you think that’s been underplayed, the fact that he’s actually come back and silenced his doubters?

Brendan Rodgers: “Within football there wasn’t doubt, because you only need to look at, as I said, the body of work over a long period of time. But, of course, everything that gets highlighted in our media and press, and in particular in the Premier League, it was, I’m sure, challenging for him. But there was no doubt he was a top manager. So, to see him come here and do the work that he’s done, I’ve been just so happy for him because you see how the team has played. I think also you see how the club has really grown. Obviously, the new owners have come in and invested heavily in the club, and the club has been able to grow with the level of player they have.

“But for that, you still need a top coach to maximise what you can get out of them, and I think he’s done that. So, the journey they were on to get to the Champions League, absolutely great. It’s always a challenge when you’re having to then mix in the European football with the domestic football, but you just keep developing and growing, and the work that he’s done to do that has been absolutely first class. I’m really pleased for him, and as I said, I can’t speak highly enough for the work that he’s done here.”