Celtic support must give Brendan Rodgers and new Bhoys our full backing

Kelechi Iheanacho of Leicester City looks on during the Emirates FA Cup Fifth Round match between AFC Bournemouth and Leicester City at Vitality Stadium on February 27, 2024. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)It’s fair to say that recent signing Kelechi Iheanacho hasn’t received the warmest of welcomes since his post deadline day signing for Celtic as a free agent.

Some of the flak thrown at the former Manchester City and Leicester striker has been totally absurd, and uncalled for, and despite the frustrations of supporters over our Board’s incompetent recruitment process, it’s unfair to single out an individual who has no say whatsoever on the matter.

Kelechi Iheanacho of Middlesbrough during the Championship match between Luton Town FC and Middlesbrough FC at Kenilworth Road on March 15, 2025. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)Kelechi was recently captured looking fit and lean during a personal training session before being snapped at Lennoxtown in his first training session yesterday as he tops up his fitness for the challenges ahead, and it’s a sight we should all be welcoming.

The Nigerian International might have lost his way recently, but he’s a superb player, that can’t be questioned. It doesn’t matters what he didn’t do at Sevilla or at Middlesbrough, it’s what he does at Celtic that counts.

Brendan Rodgers has a superb track record of improving players and getting the best out of them, and Kelechi will be no different.

The Celtic manager clearly knows his strengths having managed him at Leicester City, and the player himself will be motivated to prove to himself and others that he still has what it takes, which can only be good for all concerned.

Brendan will face the media on Friday afternoon for his first media conference since the transfer window closed in such a frustrating fashion. He was first to flag up the need for quality additions but despite his pleas the Board failed badly to address the gaps in the squad – like replacing the first pick striker they sold in January and failed to replace at the end of that window.

Surely on day one of the summer transfer window opening they should have set about rectifying that mistake but instead we watched their January targets all went elsewhere, possibly for a more than the Celtic valuations.  Celtic did bring in some late signings but it was all too late for the Champions League this season.

None of this is the fault of the new arrivals, who yesterday were at Lennoxtown training with Brendan Rodgers and his staff watching on. The message for supporters who are unhappy with the Celtic Board, and with that dreadful statement they put out on Saturday evening is back the team and back Brendan – who flagged up these concerns years before and has done so again this summer.