BRENDAN Rodgers today admitted he can understand Celtic supporters’ anger at his departure after being officially unveiled as the new Leicester City manager at the King Power Stadium this afternoon.

However, he predicted the Glasgow club will continue to enjoy success in future without him with the group of players he has assembled and the improvements he made during his tenure.

And he expressed hope that in time he will be remembered for the success that he enjoyed during his time in charge.

READ MORE: Brendan Rodgers forced through move to Leicester City 

Rodgers sparked fury among the Parkhead club’s disbelieving support on Tuesday when he agreed to take over from Claude Puel at the Premier League club.

The 46-year-old won all seven domestic trophies his team competed for and qualified for the Champions League group stages twice during his 33 months in Scotland.

However, fans of the Scottish champions are unhappy the Northern Irishman has left while they are still bidding to land a historic treble treble.

It has since emerged that Rodgers insisted that he move to East Midlands outfit immediately rather than join at the end of the 2018/19 campaign.

Celtic are eight points clear of Rangers at the head of the Ladbrokes Premiership with 10 games remaining and play Hibernian at Easter Road in the quarter-final of the William Hill Scottish Cup tomorrow evening.

Members of ultra group The Green Brigade made their feelings clear during the Ladbrokes Premiership game against Hearts at Tynecastle on Wednesday evening.

READ MORE: Brendan Rodgers leaves Celtic for Leicester City 

They unfurled banners which read: “You traded immortality for mediocrity. Never a Celt. Always a Fraud.”

And Celtic condemned fans’ sick chanting about the former Watford, Reading, Swansea City and Liverpool boss that was filmed in an Edinburgh pub and posted on social media as “disgusting and pathetic”.  

Rodgers confirmed he was aware of the reaction to his exit and had seen the banner, but he stressed that he was confident the club would continue to do well without him.

“I have seen some of what has been said,” he said. “Listen Celtic supporters will hurt. I understand how they feel – they are hurting and a bit worried about what will happen.

“Listen, words, you always have to be careful with words. I have seen the banner. The Celtic supporters are hurting. It is a worldwide fan base. They gave me everything.

“It was a shock, they are probably angry, but in time a reality will set in and hopefully the work we did will how we are judged.

“This (Leicester) is a fantastic club with a real rich history of its own. Its recent history has been incredible as everyone has seen.

“But I know what we put in place will stabilise the club moving forward. John (Kennedy) understands the success we have had. He knows the fabric of the club and knows how I have worked and how we have brought

“Scott Brown is the captain, an incredible leader with the team on and off the pitch. As hard as it was to make the decision, I knew the improvements we made would help them continue to enjoy success.”

Rodgers added: “It wasn’t easy at all. I have got family who are still deeply upset. But I have to remove that emotion in my career. I have to make the decision.

“My family and many friends have grown up Celtic supporters. There is real sadness because in my time at Celtic I have made a whole host of friends.

“They are incredible bunch and they will continue to have success. The supporters from the first day I walked into Celtic were incredible home and away.

“But I have to remove all that emotion. My journey is finished at Celtic and I have achieved all I can.

“It was a very, very difficult decision. If I was making this decision with my heart I would be at Celtic for life. It is an incredible club, one I have supporter all my life. It all happened very quickly. As a manager, you have to take the emotion out.

READ MORE: We discuss Brendan Rodgers' move from Celtic to Leicester 

“After over three years at Celtic I felt it was the time to move onto my next challenge I have had opportunities to leave, but this was an opportunity I felt was too good to turn down.

“To come to a club with the ambition that Leicester have and a group of players who are young and hungry and need stabilising. I felt I could come in and help.”

Asked if he could have left Celtic in the summer, Rodgers said: “No. It wouldn’t have waited until the summer. The club had to make a decision in terms of where they were at. The intention was to bring in someone permanent.

“I understand the timing issue. The ideal time would have been the summer, absolutely. We were very focused and playing very well.

“This was an opportunity that arose very quickly and I had a decision that I have to make very quickly. Removing emotion for that was key.

“This opportunity to come to Leicester wasn’t going to wait for me. I respect that people will hurt. Hopefully in time the measure of my time will be the success we had.”

Over 10,000 Celtic fans turned up at Parkhead to greet Rodgers when he succeeded Ronny Deila back in May, 2016.

The scenes at the King Power Stadium were much lower key today.

He had received a warm reception from Leicester supporters when he attended their league match against Brighton on Tuesday evening.

Asked if he thought Leicester was a bigger club than Celtic, Rodgers said: “Celtic is one of the biggest clubs in world football. You can’t deny that. I know that and that is why I went there. It is the first British club to win the European Cup and they have 60,000 fans every week.

“It isn’t the case of whether it is a bigger club, it is the challenge, the challenge of working against top players and top coaches with a club with that ambition to move forward.”