Celtic in English Premier League would be amazing but it won't happen: Brendan Rodgers

Brendan Rodgers firmly believes that Celtic competing in the English Premier League (EPL) would be '˜an amazing experience' - but he doesn't believe it will ever happen.
Celtic manager Brendan RodgersCeltic manager Brendan Rodgers
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers

The Parkhead boss was speaking to Sky Sports when he was asked about the viability of Celtic and Rangers playing in the English league system.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Rodgers said: “Celtic in the Premier League would be an amazing story. It would be an amazing experience for everyone, not just for Celtic but for other teams as well.

“I just don’t think it would ever happen, I think there are too many barriers.

“Celtic are one of the great iconic clubs of the world and if [Celtic] were in the Premier League, what that would generate - we get 60-odd thousand virtually every home game.

“You could take over all the away stadiums - the travelling support where they’re allowed would bring 10,000 or 12,000.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

But Rodgers concedes that the financial clout enjoyed by teams in the English top flight would be a stumbling block.

“What Celtic doesn’t have is finance. Celtic don’t have the money that the Premier League generates,” Rodgers added.

“It would be amazing for Celtic to be there but I can never see it happening. I don’t think it will ever happen. There are just so many processes it would have to go through.

“I think there’s probably more chance of Celtic being in a European League than being in the pyramid system down south. Rodgers also pointed to English teams with ambitions of becoming top flight clubs, singling out the recently-promoted Huddersfield Town and earmarking Brentford as the next possible top flight team.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“The one thing I would say with England is that every team will believe that they can be a top flight team. Brentford, Huddersfield... you see were Huddersfield were a number of years ago. And now, all of a sudden, they’re playing in the Premier League.

“And I think lots of clubs in England have that vision, that ambition to one day be a top-flight team. “It would be very, very tough for Celtic, and Rangers, to be in the Premier League, even thought it would be amazing. Then you would see the true, real size of a club like Celtic.”