Brendan Rodgers is back in town. It was never going to be dull, was it?

The returning Celtic manager was unveiled at Parkhead late yesterday afternoon, meeting fans and sitting down with the written press for the first time since his three-year contract was signed, sealed and delivered.

In a wide-ranging interview, he covered his acrimonious 2019 departure, the factors behind his return, the reaction to it, and what he hopes to achieve this time around.

Only Celtic could have talked you out of a sabbatical?

“I spoke with a number of clubs out of respect and I had options but I was pretty set on taking the time out and being away. Michael initially had spoken to me and I didn’t maybe think it was the right timing. But then I spoke to him again. Dermot called me a couple of times and encouraged me to speak with Michael and Chris, just to look at the infrastructure and what they’ve been building since I’ve been away, over the four years.

“And that excited me. Then, once I had seen that, I had a lunch with Callum McGregor. I had a good couple of hours with him, finding out about the squad and everything else. And that really got me thinking then about coming back.

“I then spoke with my family because I know it was hard when we left and some of the things that happened. But we didn’t want that to diminish the great feeling we had up here.

“Then, once we gave it that final thought, it was a no brainer really.”

But was there soul searching required because of what happened at the house?

“I had over a course of a week really, to think through everything. I could have easily sat in my comfortable chair and had a couple of years out before going back but I feel that I can have success here.

“If I can bring back that success then hopefully we’ll win over any doubters, who feel that way about me coming back in.

“I’m sure there are people who have erased everything that I did before because of the nature of how I left. But I didn’t just get up and leave. That’s the thing, I knew what I was doing.

READ MORE: The Life of Brendan II: He’s not The Messiah - but he’s a very regretful boy

“Like I say, I have never regretted any decision I’ve made in my life. But I certainly regret the people that I’ve hurt both on a personal level and in a professional level.

“That was a big reason I came back - the people that I’ve hurt - I wanted to give them back, hopefully, that joy again and really demonstrate that we can succeed together again.”

Does coming back nail the myth that you were a 'fraud'?

“There’s only so much you can say and probably this time I’ll maybe not express that so much. People close to me knew the team I supported and understand what this means to me.

“To be fair, I could have sat comfortably and gone back into the Premier League. When I left Leicester on the Monday I had a Premier League offer on the Wednesday! You know.

“I could have went in in the summer. Or I maybe could have gone in next summer again. But I wanted to come to Celtic for multiple reasons. It just gives me a special feeling here.

“Whether people think I support the club or not, I’m really not bothered about that. I know and the people close to me know.”

When it became clear you could come back were you aware that fans seemed excited by the idea? Were you aware of that? 

“Not really. I closed myself out of all of that because you’ve got to be clear in your decision making. 

“Over the four years I was away I bumped into a lot of Celtic supporters who were positive at the time.  You are never going to please everyone. When I was here I had critics, even when we won seven out of seven. 

“I would expect that coming back again. But it doesn’t affect me.” 

Did you take the emotion out of it and make a professional calculated decision? 

“I have done that all my career. When I left here the first time it was a really sad moment, but I have to differentiate between the personal and the professional. 

“Even if you are a fan of a sport or a team you still have a career. Look at the players who have left here or the managers, people have always done it.

“That doesn’t mean that you love a club any less. And when I left here I felt at that time I had done absolutely everything I possibly could. 

“My next challenge was going to be Leicester and I felt that I was leaving the team here eight points clear in a good place. We were 27 games in and in a good place after what we had built up over three years. 

“People talk about mid-season – we were 27 games in. Mid-season gets bandied about – but there were only 11 games to go. 

“We had won the League Cup, we were eight points clear in the league and the team won it by nine points. They won the Scottish Cup – and we had already done that two years previous. 

“I felt I was leaving the team and the club in a really stable place despite me moving on. It was my job to create an environment with a winning mentality and that’s what the club did. 

“They went on to win the treble. And won the treble again.”

Were you hurt by the Green Brigade banners after winning seven trophies in a row? 

“It’s only human isn’t it? You give everything, your life, to the club and… 

“But that was the decision I made and you have to accept that and get on with it.”

Do supporters have to realise that you didn’t really leave them in the lurch? 

“Someone said about leaving them in the lurch. And I said, ‘well, it’s some lurch.’ 

“But that’s the emotion of it. It was a sad time because it happened quickly and I get that. 

“I will never get too emotional with words but when it’s this club naturally it hurts some of the supporters.

“If you look at Ange and what he did here for a couple of years, a fantastic job.

“He will have loved his time here and won’t find a better environment, a better set of supporters to be working with.

READ MORE: Brendan Rodgers - Why Celtic can kick on in Champions League

“But as a coach, there’s a challenge and he’s taking on a challenge at Tottenham. When I went to Leicester, the challenge was taking a midtable team into the top six.

“Celtic still had a good time after I left. When I went to Leicester we had three of the four best finishes in the history of the club, we won the FA Cup, the Community Shield.

“For both of us, it actually worked out well. But, for some, there’s emotion there and I can only put that down to the affinity and the closeness we have.

“I’m here to try and help those people again and bring the dreams back.”

Do you feel no need to apologise despite what some have said? Is it now about moving forward?

“You make a decision in your life, we all make decisions. I’ve never regretted a decision I’ve made, what I regret is the hurt. I knew people hurt at that time, it was a sad moment. I had family, close friends and it absolutely knocked them.

“What that then does to other supporters, I totally understand that. But that’s the decisions you make as a professional.

READ MORE: BBC Scotland 'denied access' by Celtic for Brendan Rodgers conference

“I’m pretty sure Virgil van Dijk didn’t apologise when he left, or Wanyama, or Henrik or Kieran Tierney. That doesn’t mean we love the club any less, it’s a professional judgement you make.

“I can accept what has come my way with that, but what I didn’t accept was the personal stuff with the family.”

Takes guts to come back and face that, were you nervous about it?

“Not really, I was more excited. I think I’d given it long enough to think. Four years, it doesn’t feel like yesterday since I’ve been away from here. I wouldn’t say I was nervous.

“I know there are enough supporters who respect the work I did, but I wanted to come back to finish the work I’d started here.”

Were you aware the Green Brigade reposted the ‘never a Celt, always a fraud’ banner this week?

“I was aware of that. For me, I love the club and the supporters and you will have critics. With the greatest respect, I don’t think winning a club the FA Cup for the first time in their history was mediocre, or taking them into Europe when they’d never been and having three of the best four finishes in the league.

“I don’t think it’s mediocre but everyone is entitled to their opinion.”

Are you and the club aligned on Europe?

“It’s always been the ambition here. It’s always going to be extremely difficult to compete with teams whose budget is £370m-odd per season, especially at the highest level.

“What we want to show is that we want to be competitive, we want to go into Europe and see if we can make a mark. Sometimes that will depend – you can get draws that are really, really difficult.

“But we want to be competitive and see if we can get ourselves through that, or to be in Europe after Christmas. Once you’re in Europe after Christmas, can you get through these knockout games? That’s the big challenge.”