Celtic superfan welcomes Brendan Rodgers back for first day at work after getting up at 3.30am to put out bunting
BRENDAN RODGERS announced his return to Celtic with four words – “Let’s get to work!”.
And today is the day as our exclusive pictures show.
Celtic report back for duty after last season’s treble triumph with a new look and a new boss at the helm.
Rodgers swept back into Lennoxtown this morning ready to kick off his pre-season schedule with his new squad.
And he was all smiles as he got back to work – greeted by one delighted fan who ensured the boss was given a warm welcome back to the training ground.
Hoops diehard Patsy Cullen, 76, was such a fan of Rodgers on his previous spell she followed him to LEICESTER to wish him well.
And the superfan left her house in Whitburn at 3.30am this morning to set up the welcome party complete with balloons and bunting on the road to the training base.
It’s a route Rodgers knows well of course, courtesy of two and a half years with the club between 2016 and 2019, but the players he will meet for the first time this morning are almost all new.
Only three – James Forrest, Callum McGregor and Scott Bain, remain from his first spell.
But Rodgers insists his Celtic fandom developed as a youngster meant he has kept a close eye on his former club while he was away at Leicester – and is ready for the challenge ahead.
Already this summer he has brought in two players – Odin Thiago Holom from Valerenga and Australian Marco Tilio from Melbourne City.
However he stands to lose Jota in a mega-money deal with Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Ittihad.
It remains to be seen if the Portuguese winger will join his new boss and team-mates for day one of the new season.
The Hoops have a busy schedule in store as they aim to defend all three domestic trophies and make a dent in the Champions League.
After reporting back today they will head to a training camp in Portugal next week ahead of a globe-trotting trip to Japan.
There they will showcase homegrown players like Kyogo Furuhashi, Daizen Maeda and Reo Hatate against Yokohama F.Marinos and Gamba Osaka.
However plans to return home via South Korea have been thrown into jeopardy after Wolves pulled out of the planned friendly in Suwon.
The Hoops will kick off the season proper in 33 days’ time with a home match against Ross County shown live on Sky.
The flag day will be followed by two games with Aberdeen and St Johnstone before the first Old Firm derby of the season on September 3.
Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page