Brendan Rodgers: I'd '100 per cent' be open to extending Celtic contract
Brendan Rodgers declared that he would "100 per cent" be open to extending his Celtic contract despite being left feeling "empty" following an underwhelming summer transfer window.
The manager has made no secret of his frustration at the club's failure to improve the squad before they crashed out of the Champions League at the hands of Kairat Almaty a fortnight ago.
Celtic fans are planning protests against the board as a result of their summer of woe and it had been widely speculated that the situation would prompt Rodgers to walk out on the club before or upon expiry of his contract at the end of this season.
However, the 52-year-old, who was speaking on Friday for the first time since the window closed, revealed he had never entertained thoughts of leaving Parkhead for a second time and was "hopeful" of extending his deal - if the conditions were right.
Asked if he felt let down by the club's inability to back him, Rodgers said: "It's not about me. I want Celtic to be the very best that it can be. My ambition is for the club, for our supporters, for the players.
"It's not a personal thing for me. I can only do my very best to improve what it is we need to improve. Whatever situation I'm in, I will then look to be the very best that I can be.
"The first time I was here, I probably left because of that (frustration at lack of backing). But I won't be doing that this time. Absolutely no chance - 100 per cent.
"My duty is to be here and help the team, the squad, the club get back again and moving on."
Asked if a window that Rodgers admitted "could have been better for us" had made him ponder quitting, he added: "It didn't. It didn't make me think to walk away. I just felt empty, if I'm honest.
"It was a long process and the weight is on your shoulders when you're here, carrying everything. When it doesn't quite go the way you want, then of course you have an empty feeling.
"But then you know as one of the leaders of the club and particularly the manager of the team, you've got to get your head around it and you've got to deal with it and then you've got to try and maximise what you have."
When pressed on whether this summer had influenced his thinking with regard to remaining at the club beyond this season, Rodgers said: "No, it hasn't really changed from the last time.
"I would love to stay here longer. I've had informal chats with Dermot (Desmond, the majority shareholder) and Michael (Nicholson, chief executive).
"I haven't had an offer yet to think over and until that comes then I'm not going to be so arrogant to say, 'yeah, I want to be here for another three years'. The club might not want me here.
"So I have to respect that and until that happens. Then I just continue to do my job.
"And if going forward, if I do get offered a deal, then of course there needs to be conditions within that allows me to work to the best I possibly can. If not, then it's maybe just there's two philosophies that don't quite add up and I also accept that.
"I'll go away, I'll be a Celtic supporter for the rest of my life and we'll go our separate ways. But my hope was to come back here, to take the club forward.
"We've seen progress, we've seen Europe, we've seen everything - so can we sustain that? It hasn't quite happened for us in the Champions League, but I'm hopeful that in the future something can be resolved."
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