Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard has revealed how Brendan Rodgers convinced him about joining the club.
Speaking recently on the French ‘Destin 2 Pro’ podcast, Edouard discussed his career so far as well as reflecting on his time at Parkhead over the last few years. The Frenchman also described in detail as to how Rodgers convinced him to join Celtic. While the interview was in French, Celtic France transcribed and translated Edouard’s comments.
Edouard had originally arrived at Parkhead on a loan deal back in the summer of 2017. Rodgers was the manager of the club at that point, before leaving the Hoops in February 2019 to join Premier League side Leicester City (via Transfermarkt).
While talking about the role Rodgers had to play in signing him, Edouard said: “I met Brendan Rodgers and his staff, they came over to Paris to see me. He showed me his determination to have me in his squad, he spoke about his project for me. Since this meeting, no hesitation, Celtic was my first choice.”
Does Rodgers deserve credit for nurturing Edouard?
Yes, he deserves a lot of credit
No, he turned out to be a rat
The striker also shed some light on how the former Hoops boss presented a tactical project to him.
Edouard said: “Rodgers told me his big ambitions: the way Celtic play an attacking [brand of] football, he told me the context [of the club], the big stadium, great fans, big club. He spoke to me about different configurations with a sole striker or two and in all cases, he would give me a lot of game time.”
He continued: “I wanted to have a coach who could count on me. Rodgers offered me something real and coming to Celtic was the best project for me in the short and long term.”
TIF Thoughts…
From Edouard’s words, it is clear that Rodgers did play a decisive role in bringing the striker to Parkhead. He didn’t just meet the striker in person, he offered a project that Edouard believed in and trusted. That goes a long way in attracting players and it seems as though Rodgers did really well in that regard.
Edouard thrived under the Northern Irish manager, contributing to 15 goals in the 2017/18 season. While Rodgers did leave before the end of the 2018/19 season, Edouard went on to contribute to 30 goals in the whole season, improving on the tally from his previous campaign.
This shows how important Rodgers has been for Edouard. He didn’t just convince him to join Celtic, he also gave him the platform to thrive. So it is no surprise that Rodgers’ Leicester have also been linked with a move to sign Edouard in recent months.