BRENDAN Rodgers had worked as a youth coach for no fewer than 15 years before he stepped into the dugout to manage a side in a senior game of football – and still found the experience traumatic.
Rodgers was headhunted by Watford in 2008 after impressing in his spells as youth coach and reserve team manager at Chelsea and took charge of them for the first time in an English Championship game against Doncaster. It didn’t take very long for him to realise he had entered a completely different environment.
“I had 15 years of complete development, travelling the world, hundreds and hundreds of games as a youth coach,” he said. “But in that first game at Vicarage Road, when the curtains came back and the lights were shining on me, there was nothing prepared me for that.
“I felt as if I was totally prepared having worked with every age band and type of player. It’s just about experience and games under your belt. We drew 1-1 against Doncaster – and at that time they felt like Arsenal!”
The Celtic manager can, then, fully appreciate just what Graeme Murty, who was promoted from under-20 coach to first team caretaker at Rangers after Mark Warburton departed suddenly last month, has been going through in recent weeks.
Yet, he feels the knowledge the former Scotland internationalist, who will take charge of the Glasgow club for the final time in the league game at Parkhead on Sunday, has gained during that time will prove priceless to him in his career.
“When you’re working with young players and you get the chance to step up it’s tough because of the focus in and around the job,” said Rodgers. “But for Graeme’s own development it will prove invaluable for him.
“Whatever the result, it’s going to be a really, really good experience for him because when you’re out there it sets a different responsibility. I’m sure he’ll be looking forward to it. He’s got experience. He’s been around football. He’ll relish the challenge of preparing his team.”
Murty, who worked in the youth departments at both Southampton and Norwich before joining Rangers last year, has admitted that he is unsure where his future as a coach lies.
Rodgers, who managed the full-back briefly during his time at Reading, feels that is a sensible approach to take and predicted the last few weeks will have helped him to decide what area of the game to concentrate on.
“He will have seen the scale of it, being involved at a big club, and what the responsibility is and that you’re leading not just the team but the club,” he said. “He will have gained a wonderful experience in these last three or four weeks or so from doing that.
“Enjoy it, work it, feel the pressure, see what it’s like. I always say when you become a manager it’s welcome to the land of no sleep, because it’s a different sport altogether. But whatever happens for him he’ll go away and be a better coach for it.”
Rodgers is looking forward to meeting up with Murty again before his Celtic side take on Rangers once again this weekend – but stressed that his side would be going all out for their fourth consecutive victory over their city rivals despite the outcome of the match counting for little other than pride.
“I look forward to seeing him,” he said. “I haven’t seen him for quite a time. I only saw him briefly at Ibrox in December. He’s a nice fella. I was a coach at Reading when Tommy (Burns) brought him in and it was unfortunate he didn’t play a lot for Tommy.
“But when Tommy left he came into the team and did very well. He was a good attacking full-back, but he struggled with injuries a wee bit. He’s a sensible fella and I’m sure he’ll do well in his coaching career.
“But I am motivated to win the game. Listen, we could play really well and luck goes against us. But our thoughts are always in the set-up and to go out and win. This is the next game for us and we want to go out and do well.”
Many Celtic fans are anticipating another emphatic triumph for Celtic, who won 5-1 against Rangers at Parkhead in September and are on a record-breaking 34 game unbeaten run domestically, but Rodgers knows it will, as always, be a difficult game for his side to negotiate.
“That is not the real world,” he said. “We want to do well and go out and get the result as we have done for the three games that we have played. So we will be fighting and pushing to get the win. It is never easy except in theory. It is never easy on the field.”
Rodgers, who has spent stints in charge of Reading, Swansea City and Liverpool since Watford, conceded his days of lying awake at night worrying about tactics, injuries and formations are in the past.
“I’m 300-odd games in and it’s not so much like that for me – it’s more for Graeme at the stage he’s at,” he said. “You think of absolutely everything and that’s the land of no sleep. When you get the sack a couple of times you realise that it’s just a matter of time so you deal with it.
“It never shocked me. I was really looking forward to it, the first derby - especially being at home – and it surpassed all the expectations. Of course, you want to win and we won very, very well, so it was a great day for everyone. Supporters, players and the management. I enjoyed the Ibrox game and I enjoyed the Hampden game.”
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