Brendan Rodgers could have his say as Hampden pundit on Sunday

Late on Monday night, the club announced that the Irishman had stepped down as head coach, shortly before Dermot Desmond issued a strongly worded personal statement directed at the Celtic support.

The principal shareholder lambasted Rodgers for his behaviour in recent months, claiming he had acted in a “self-serving” manner while being “divisive” and fostered a toxic environment within the club.

Last month, Rodgers alleged that someone inside the club had undermined him to Roger Hannah in The Scottish Sun, labelling them a “coward.” He also voiced frustration over the abysmal summer transfer dealings, likening his situation to being told to drive a Honda Civic as if it were a Ferrari.

The talkSPORT duo disclosed that Rodgers has travelled to Rio but plans to attend Sunday’s semi-final clash with theRangers in person, although many people reckon that this is just a noise up to worry the Celtic bosses.

Brazil revealed: “I spoke with Rodgers. He’s not happy. Oh, he’s not happy.”

McCoist added: “I sent him a message. He sent me a message back. I was trying to get him on to see what he was thinking. And he said, ‘I am in Brazil. Not the fella, the country.’ He said, ‘I will speak to you when I get back. I am going on Sunday.’

“So, I sent him a message, ‘That’s great. Glad things are going well. Stay safe. PS, I hope you get pumped on Sunday.’ I said, so, he seems in good form.”

Brazil also mentioned that he’s been told Rodgers’ next destination could be Saudi Arabia.

He said: “Well, Brendan might just find himself driving a Bentley convertible soon because what I’m hearing is that he’s heading to Saudi. That’s the rumour. I’ve been told that’s where he’s going to end up.”

“When you think about it, where would he go from Celtic? Is he going to get a top job in England? Probably not.”

Martin O’Neill kickstarted his period as interim Celtic boss last night with an impressive 4-0 victory over Falkirk.

Attention now turns to Sunday’s mouthwatering Glasgow Derby at Hampden Park and the calls to give O’Neill the job on a permanent basis, or even until the end of the season, will grow if holders Celtic secure a place in the Premier Sports Cup final on Sunday afternoon.

Will Brendan Rodgers be coming back from Brazil to do some punditry, and have his say on live television with a huge audience watching? That  would be box-office stuff.

Conor Spence

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