Brendan Rodgers: I'm not the manager for Celtic if there's just something to maintain

The Northern Irishman is two-thirds of the way through the three-year deal he signed when he returned to manage the Parkhead club for a second time following the departure of Ange Postecoglou in 2023.

Rodgers has won five out of six domestic trophies during his second tenure and also took the club into the Champions League knock-out phase for the first time in 12 years. But with no offer currently on the table to renew, Rodgers gave no assurances that he would commit to signing a new contract if the remit was simply to "maintain" the current levels.

"There's no further update, and for the sake of honesty and clarity, I can tell you exactly where we are," Rodgers said. "I said when I came here that I'd do three years minimum. People had me out the door at the end of last season or going various places. There's nowhere to go. I love being here. I've done two years, I've got one more year to go.

"Dermot [Desmond, majority shareholder], Michael [Nicholson, CEO] and I had a conversation over the summer on where we're at, and where it sits with myself and everything else. I said I'm very happy here, there's conditions we want in to be able to improve and be better because I'm not the type of manager that's good at maintaining anything. If there's just something to maintain, I'm not the manager for Celtic. It will be someone else. But to build, grow, develop and push, then of course, I love being at Celtic.

"When the times comes where the club offer me a deal, or not, then it doesn't make a difference to me because every single day of my life I'll give everything here until the very last day. When the club feel it's time to make an offer then they will do."

Celtic head into the new William Hill Premiership season opener against Kilmarnock on Sunday somewhat light in the forward areas following the sale of Nicolas Kuhn for £15million to Como and a long-term knee injury to Jota. Kieran Tierney has been re-signed from Arsenal on a free and minimal transfer fees have been spent securing midfielder Benjamin Nygren, defender Hayato Inamura and striker Shin Yamada. Manchester City youngster Jahmai Simpson-Pusey is also set to join on loan but with huge cash reserves - Celtic’s latest accounts showed a bank balance of £65million - there is an urgency among supporters to see more money spent on quality additions.

"That is a clear message," Rodgers added. "I'm not the one to sit here and just maintain levels. My coming here to Celtic is, this is really fast-moving club, and you have to keep moving and move quickly. It's one of the biggest clubs in world football, it has a demand and expectation on it, and the only way you get better within that is by improving and developing. The message clearly to supporters is everyone here will be doing their utmost to improve on last season, and it's a really exciting season ahead. If we can add where we need to add, then it can be even better for us."

Pressed on whether he would stay if the board matched his ambition, Rodgers went on: "I don't want to be really arrogant to say that. Celtic clearly has an expectation and should have an expectation because of the size of the club we are and what the demands are here. What I'm saying is, I love being here. Yes, there's been some challenges on and off the pitch, but that's management. In the main I've absolutely loved it here, and will continue to do so, however long that is. But there has to be that ambition from everyone.

“It's no good the manager having it and the players not, or whatever else. Everything has to be aligned. I know that the club are also very keen to continue to progress and develop. In terms of my situation, I'm relaxed on it, only because I know what I give every single day. If the club choose to offer [a new contract] and see that as the way forward, great. If not, then it doesn't really matter to me in relation to what I give to the job."