BRENDAN Rodgers isn't bothered if Craig Bellamy thinks the rest of the football world doesn't care about his achievements at Celtic - because he came to Scotland to win titles, not admirers. While the Northern Irishman has pieced together a remarkable 56-match winning run during his time at Parkhead ahead of this Saturday's first Old Firm match of the season at Ibrox, former Celtic striker Bellamy feels his exploits have gone unnoticed by an English sporting public obsessed by what happens in the Barclays Premier League.
Bellamy used the example of the drop-off in English interest in his services either side of his six month loan at Parkhead in 2005 said that he "found out during his time in Scotland that it doesn't matter what you do up there - no one cares" but Rodgers issued a riposte to sorts to the BT Sport pundit when he said he wasn't worried whether his exploits north of the border initiated a credible offer to return to a big club south of the border.
"To be honest, I am not here to win titles for my own cv to not get a job in England," said Rodgers. "I am here to do a job at Celtic. First and foremost, I love life in Scotland, I love the city. It has been great for me for the last 15 months or so. Of course the football has gone well and that is why were are here, we are here to win. I love that aspect of it and that is my only concern.
"I am not here to boost a CV - I am here because of Celtic. It is a club I love. I love being here. I love the challenge of trying to develop the football club to a standard or a level that hopefully we can sustain and dedicate that excellence to. I have enough challenges and worries here to look forward to that are really exciting, whether that initiates a job elsewhere I am not even worried about that.
"I am not in a rush anymore, this is my fifth job and I started my career in management in my mid 30s and now I am 44. So in less than ten years in management I have had five jobs. So I was in a rush probably the first few years, trying to get to the top, trying to get to Liverpool, but I don't really sense that anymore. My life has always been about developing players - if we can win trophies along the way then great.
"I respect Craig, he is very passionate about his life, very passionate about his football. Seeing some of the comments I am not sure it is meant in that way but if it is, then okay. I am not here to worry about my next job, my only worry is Celtic and that is what I am paid to do."
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