BRENDAN Rodgers, the new Celtic manager, has admitted the success Mark Warburton, his former colleague at Watford, has enjoyed in his first season at Rangers has “delighted” him.
Rodgers worked alongside Warburton during his brief spell in charge at Vicarge Road and was pleased when he was appointed at Ibrox last summer.
The Irishman, who grew up supporting Celtic, revealed that he had sent the Englishman a text message warning him what to expect when he moved up to Glasgow.
Read more: So what does Brendan Rodgers have to do in his first few weeks at Celtic?
And the 43-year-old confessed he had been pleased to see his former colleague win the Ladbrokes Championship, Petrofac Training Cup and reach the William Hill Scottish Cup final in the 2015/16 campaign.
“He is a good guy,” said Rodgers. “I was only at Watford for a short time as a manager. I was given my opportunity there and Mark was the youth academy director there when I came in.
“He was very loyal, very supportive, an excellent coach and he had a good rapport with the players and I am delighted to see how well he has done.
“He did a really good job at Brentford and I spoke to him at the end of that season when he left. He has taken up the challenge at Rangers and I sent him a message when he came here because even he wouldn’t know how big it is here.
“I am sure in his time here he has realised the size of the clubs up here and the pressures that are totally different from down south. He has done a good job.”
Meanwhile, Rodgers, who was greeted by around 10,000 Celtic supporters when he was unveiled on Monday evening, has vowed to do all he can to bring the crowds back to Parkhead.
Attendances have fallen at Celtic Park during the last four seasons despite the team winning the Scottish title five years running due in part to the absence of Rangers from the Ladbrokes Premiership.
“When I used to see the stadium here when I was younger, it was full,” said Rodgers. “I remember European nights when Martin (O’Neill) was here as manager with sixty odd thousand in attendance. This is a club that has that support – and more.
Read more: Former Celt Charlie Gallagher on the Road to Lisbon - and punching Billy McNeill
“So when I hear and see that the top end of the Lisbon Lions Stand had been shut down for the last couple of years because it wasn’t getting filled then that gave me a big motivation to get people in there to watch the team play football.
"Maybe the competition hasn’t been there, but I’ve come here believing this is an incredible club and I’m really looking forward to working in the league.
“Of course, it’s different – there are more glamorous surroundings to go and work in. But I have a real passion to do well here. There are well respected clubs here and if I’ve come in and given things a lift then so beat it.”
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