SPECULATION about who would replace Ronny Deila as Celtic manager was soon rife after the Norwegian announced that he would be standing down towards the end of last season. Much of it was informed. But there were also some fairly unlikely candidates linked with the vacancy.

So when Scott Brown read that Brendan Rodgers, the Irishman who had led Liverpool to the brink of the English title just two years previously, was in the frame for the position he immediately dismissed the possibility.

“When I looked at it I thought: ‘There is no chance in a million years we are going to get Brendan Rodgers to come to Celtic’,” said Brown. “In the last couple of seasons, there haven’t been a lot of fans at our games, there hasn’t been great support for the league across the country.”

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But the prediction, of course, proved accurate. Rodgers was last month unveiled as Deila’s successor to the delight of Celtic supporters – more than 13,000 of whom turned up to greet him at Celtic Park – not to mention their captain.

Brown, free from injury and fully refreshed after the longest summer break of his professional career, admitted he is as excited about the season ahead as the fans after speaking with the experienced coach over dinner in London and working with him in pre-season training at Lennoxtown this week.

Speaking at Celtic Park yesterday, where he was promoting the International Champions Cup match between Celtic and Leicester next month, Brown said: “I was over the moon when he got the job. I know the style that he likes to play. It suits me. Hopefully we can just do it on the park now.

The Herald:

“We have not done that yet. But what we have done in training has been exceptional. The way he has been working us, different formations, different styles of play, has been good. It is going to be an interesting season.

“As soon as he comes in look what happens. It sets everything on fire. He has just put us through the roof to be perfectly honest. Everyone is talking about Celtic, the gaffer, what he can do, what he has done at his previous clubs and how he plays.”

Brown revealed that Rodgers is keen for Celtic to adopt the same approach as Leicester next season as they bid for domestic and European success – by forging a strong bond off the park as well as developing an understanding on it.

Read more: New Parkhead manager Brendan Rodgers insists he has not taken a step down as Celtic are 'one of the great clubs of the world'

“He is keen on building team morale, on us socialising together, doing things with families and as friends, getting around more. Pretty much the exact same to what Leicester did last season. We haven’t really done that.

“We are good in the dressing room together, but as soon as we leave the dressing room the lads don’t socialise together as much as teams that I have played in in the past. The gaffer is going to bring that back. He says he is going to sort stuff. He wants us to be close together and to enjoy each other’s company on and off the park. I think that is a great start.”

Meanwhile, Brown responded in kind to the remarks that Joey Barton, the outspoken English midfielder who signed for Rangers this summer, has made about him and stressed he was looking forward to squaring up to his opposite number in the Old Firm games in the 2016/17 campaign.

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Barton claimed the Scotland internationalist “is nowhere near my level as a player” and “ain’t in my league” in comments on TalkSport, who he is working for at the Euro 2016 finals in France this summer, earlier this month.

“I've not been in his league,” said Brown. “He's in my league. I think we will get on really well with him being a Celtic fan. I’ve been used to people writing me off, half of people love you and the other half hate you but you deal with that. Social Media can go one way or the other ,but it’s football.

“We just need to look towards every game and aim for six in a row now, that’s our main focus as well as trying to get two cups under our belt as well. It’s all good banter, it’s just banter.”

Read more: Scott Brown - I'll get on with Joey Barton because he's a Celtic fan

Brown, who is injury free and fully refreshed after getting the longest break of his professional career this summer, stressed that playing against top quality opposition brings out the very best in him and expressed hope that pitting himself against Barton would provoke a positive reaction.

“The reason I signed for Celtic was to play in the Champions League against the likes of Barcelona," he said. "I’ve been able to play against guys like Iniesta and Xavi in the past and that has been exciting as I relish those challenges.

“Now we are going to play Leicester who have just won the Premier League. It’s going to be good for us to see where we are especially as we go into a new league season.”