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Scottish Sun
10 hours ago
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Brendan Rodgers insists Celtic can REPLACE him as he gives major update on his future
BRENDAN RODGERS insists Celtic would find it easy to replace him. The Hoops boss — out of contract at the end of next season — is expected to have summer talks with major shareholder Dermot Desmond over his future at Celts. 2 Brendan Rodgers has addressed his future Credit: PA 2 Peter Lawwell and Dermot Desmond Credit: Kenny Ramsay But Rodgers insists his position at the club is no different from any of the players in his squad. He said: 'Having now come through the first spell to the second spell, I know 100 per cent you will lose some of your best players. 'But they can always be replaced, like the manager can be replaced. 'Celtic's in a great moment as a club both on the pitch and off the pitch, and my job is to keep driving the vision forward.' Rodgers insists he's '200 per cent' committed to Celts next season, vowing there's no chance he'll quit before his contract expires. But so far the Northern Irishman has NOT ruled out quitting at the end of next season. In an interview with Sky Sports, filmed before the Scottish Cup final defeat to Aberdeen, Rodgers added: 'I made my promise to be here to ensure that people felt the stability. I just wanted to make sure there were no distractions. 'I'm sure at some point I'll sit with Dermot and the board and have a chat around the future, but we haven't touched on that yet. 'The focus has been purely on being successful this season and then we'll arrive into the summer with real positivity, and I feel that's what's important.' Meanwhile, keeper Scott Bain has departed Parkhead after eight seasons with the champions. Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers has STRONGER transfer case after final defeat He still had a year left on his contract but he's now left Celts early, with Aberdeen goalie Ross Doohan due to arrive this summer. Bain said: 'I am really sad, of course, to be leaving the club. But I am so thankful, too, for everything the club has given me. 'I have enjoyed my time at Celtic massively, it's been a huge honour to be part of the biggest and best club in the country. 'I would like to thank the gaffer and all the other managers I've worked with, my many team-mates over the years and all the staff. 'I've made some great friends at Celtic and will always support the club in everything it does. 'The Celtic fans are the best around, and I thank them for all the support I have been given.' Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
The Courier
11 hours ago
- Business
- The Courier
BREAKING: Neil Lennon agrees deal to STAY on as Dunfermline Athletic boss
Neil Lennon has signed a new deal to stay on as Dunfermline manager. The former Celtic and Hibernian boss has penned a two-year contract to commit his future to the East End Park outfit until summer 2027. The Northern Irishman will again be assisted next season by Iain Brunskill, who has joined him in agreeing fresh terms. Lennon took charge of the Pars in March for the final seven games of the Championship season and helped the club avoid relegation to League One. The Fifers were always optimistic that short-term agreement could be extended. Talks have been on-going for some time between Lennon and owners James Bord and Evan Sofer. With negotiations dragging on, there were fears in some quarters that a deal was not possible. But officials at Dunfermline always retained confidence in a positive conclusion to discussions after the ex-Celtic and Leicester City player's impact both on and off the pitch. Despite the delay in Lennon putting pen to paper, the Pars say preparations for next season are 'well under way'. Chairman and chief executive David Cook indicated almost three weeks ago that the Fifers were 'hopeful' of reaching an agreement to hang on to Lennon, who secured two wins and two draws from his seven matches at the helm. And he is in no doubt that the 'outstanding' Lennon can give the club's long-suffering supporters 'a team to be proud of'. 'This is an important moment for Dunfermline Athletic FC,' said Cook. 'Confirming the appointment of Neil is a clear statement of our intent to build something meaningful and competitive. 'His leadership during the latter part of last season was outstanding, and he brings a wealth of experience, professionalism and presence that has already made a significant impact around the club. 'None of this would be possible without the ongoing support of James [Bord] and Evan [Sofer]. 'It would be remiss of me not to highlight their passion for moving the club forward. 'We know the past few seasons have been challenging – on and off the pitch. Entertainment has been in short supply, but our supporters have stuck with us through some difficult times. 'We aim to repay your loyal backing by competing at the right end of the Championship, giving you a team to be proud of.'
The Courier
11 hours ago
- Sport
- The Courier
Neil Lennon's first words on Dunfermline Athletic 'project' after committing future to the Pars
'Excited' Neil Lennon has vowed to rebuild Dunfermline after agreeing to stay on as Pars manager. The former Celtic and Hibernian boss has penned a two-year deal to bring to an end lengthy negotiations over the past month. The 53-year-old signed only a short-term contract when he arrived with assistant Iain Brunskill in March but always said he was open to remaining in charge for longer. Having helped save the Fifers from the spectre of relegation by leading the team to seventh in the Championship table, Lennon had been in discussions over fresh terms ever since. And, having now ironed out the details, the Northern Irishman has confessed there is a big job ahead in his East End Park 'project'. 'I'm just delighted,' he said after putting pen to paper on Thursday. 'I'm excited. 'I've been feeling really welcome here. Now I want to make an impact on the club in a positive way. 'Iain [Brunskill] and myself really enjoyed the couple of months we were here. But we want to improve all aspects of the club, we want to build it. 'It's a project for me. I don't use that term very often in football, but there's a lot of work to be done here. 'Ultimately, it's about getting a really good product on the pitch and that's what we intend to do.' Lennon took the reins after the sacking of Michael Tidser in March, with Dunfermline sitting second-bottom and just seven points above basement side Airdrie. Despite losing his debut match in charge 3-0 away to Scott Brown's Ayr United, Lennon steered the Pars to vital wins over Livingston and Queen's Park and goalless draws against Partick Thistle and Airdrie. They finished with a six-point lead over the Diamonds, who ended up in ninth because Hamilton Accies were deducted 15 points for SPFL rule breaches. The Fifers have since freed eight first-team players and said goodbye to six loanees, whilst entering talks with Chris Hamilton, Josh Cooper, Tashan Oakley-Boothe, Jeremiah Chilokoa-Mullen, Victor Wanyama and Lewis McCann over contract extensions. With chairman and chief executive David Cook indicating the East End Park men are determined to 'have a go' at winning promotion next term, it promises to be a busy summer for Lennon.
The National
12 hours ago
- Sport
- The National
Neil Lennon vows to entertain Dunfermline fans and targets Premiership
Celtic great Lennon helped the struggling Fife outfit to avoid relegation from the Championship after taking over from Michael Tidser for the final seven league games of the 2024/25 campaign. The Northern Irishman, who brought in former Parkhead centre-half Victor Wanyama and oversaw wins over Livingston and Queen's Park during his brief spell in charge, has now signed a two year deal. He acknowledged that, with both Ross County and St Johnstone both dropping down a division, that going up will be challenging. However, he remains determined to lead Dunfermline back into the top flight for the first since 2012 next term. Read more: 'I more or less agreed things with the owner towards the end of the season,' he said. 'Obviously, there was negotiations going on with the contract and that, but he was true to his word and I've been true to my word. We've got a good relationship, which is really important. 'The same is true of the people around the club, David [chairman and chief executive Cook] is obviously important in that aspect as is John [advisor Colquhoun]. We know there's a lot of work that needs to be done. That's a real challenge for me and one that I'm looking forward to. 'I don't like making predictions. But I would like us to be challenging around the top. That's going to take a lot when you consider that two Premiership teams have come down into the division. 'Allied to that, you've got Ayr United and Partick Thistle, Raith Rovers finished the season really strongly, Morton are consistent. So it's an attritional nutritional league. But we have to find the players that will give us the edge in games. If not, they will then be difficult to beat, but also consistent. We need more consistency in our performances.' (Image: Promotional) Lennon, who will retain Iain Brunskill, Kevin McDonald and Andy Collier on his backroom team, has been attempting to strengthen the Dunfermline squad since last season ended and is keen to bring in players who can give his team far more of a cutting edge in attack. 'We came in at a difficult time and some of the performances were good, solid,' he said. 'But we weren't spectacular by any means, so I want to change that. We only scored 28 goals in 36 games. That's something that has to be changed overall. 'The players were good, their attitude was good. We liked it, we enjoyed it. We enjoyed the challenge, but now this is a different challenge. We want to start looking up the table rather than over our shoulders. There's rebuilding work that needs to be done, but we want to do that incrementally.' Lennon added, 'We've been working away in the background on a number of players, it's a slow process. There are already players who have signed new contracts from last season. 'There are players who have obviously left the club and their own players have come back to their parent clubs. We've got a small platform to build from in terms of the squad of players so far. 'Recruitment is going to be important. Getting the right players in the right positions and obviously with the right mindset as well. There were things that didn't please me over the six or seven weeks I was there. We just want to change a little bit of the culture around the place as well. 'I want more attacking players. That's always been my way. The bottom line is football is an entertainment business and you want to entertain. I think sometimes it gets lost in all the analytics and the coaching side of things. 'We have good support here. They rock up. They love the club and they want to see a team perform. Yes, full of commitment, that's non-negotiable, but with quality as well.' Read more: Cook commented, "This is an important moment for Dunfermline. Confirming the appointment of Neil is a clear statement of our intent to build something meaningful and competitive. 'His leadership during the latter part of last season was outstanding, and he brings a wealth of experience, professionalism, and presence that has already made a significant impact around the club. 'None of this would be possible without the ongoing support of James and Evan[co-owners Bord and Sofer]. It would be remiss of me not to highlight their passion for moving the club forward. 'We know the past few seasons have been challenging on and off the pitch. Entertainment has been in short supply, but our supporters have stuck with us through some difficult times. We aim to repay their loyal backing by competing at the right end of the Championship, giving them a team to be proud of.'
Newsweek
12 hours ago
- Sport
- Newsweek
PGA Tour Brass Defends Rory McIlroy's Choice to Skip The Memorial
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. It is a special week on the PGA Tour. The world's best golfers have descended upon Muirfield Village in Ohio for the Memorial Tournament. Well, most of the world's best are playing. Rory McIlroy turned heads when he decided to skip the tournament for the first time in nine years. Nicklaus acknowledged even he was surprised to hear of McIlroy's decision earlier this week. Although, he made it clear it was his choice to make and he does not hold it against him. PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan took it a step further defending the Northern Irishman. "The beauty of our model is that our players have the ability to select their schedule," Monahan said. "What Rory McIlroy has done, I think he's played in this tournament every year since 2017. And you look at the tournaments that he's supported. I don't have any concern, because you look at this on balance over time, his support of our tournaments and our partners is extraordinary." PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA - MARCH 17: Jay Monahan, Commissioner of the PGA TOUR, congratulates Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland for winning the playoff in the final round of THE PLAYERS Championship on the Stadium... PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA - MARCH 17: Jay Monahan, Commissioner of the PGA TOUR, congratulates Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland for winning the playoff in the final round of THE PLAYERS Championship on the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass on March 17, 2025 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) More Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images Indeed, McIlroy has been a mainstay at nearly every significant tournament on tour for more than a decade. In the post-Tiger Woods era of domination, the five-time major champion took up the mantle of being the face of the PGA Tour. That includes initially digging his heels in against LIV Golf upon its emergence in 2022. Earlier this year, McIlroy completed the grand slam, winning the 2025 Masters Tournament in dramatic fashion. Since that time, he has made three starts; namely the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, the Truist Championship (formerly Wells Fargo) and the PLAYERS Championship. The last of which was his worst performance of the year. He finished tied for 47th after barely making the cut. During the PLAYERS, it was revealed that McIlroy's driver failed USGA random testing. That forced the 36-year-old to switch out heads before teeing off that week. Interestingly, McIlroy then opted not to speak to the media following all four rounds. That alone brought its own set of criticism from fans. Nicklaus, when addressing the topic on Tuesday, said that while he cannot speak for McIlroy, he always felt it prudent to speak to the media. Rory McIlroy is slated to play in next week's RBC Canadian Open. He has always preferred playing the week before a major, and with the U.S. Open at Oakmont on tap in two weeks, maybe that is why he made the decision to sit out The Memorial. More Golf: Scottie Scheffler's Statement on New PGA Tour Championship Format
