John Hartson reacts to Brendan Rodgers’ comments about Aston Villa job

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Aston Villa have been linked with a move for Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers.

Pundit and former Celtic striker John Hartson has told The Glasgow Evening Times that he doesn’t think Brendan Rodgers has any intention of leaving the Bhoys for Aston Villa.

Villa sacked manager Steve Bruce last week after a torrid run of just one win in nine games, and they have been looking for a replacement in recent days.

Thierry Henry, Rui Faria and Roberto Martinez are just a host of the names linked, but there have also been links to Celtic boss Rodgers.

Rodgers told BBC Sport after Sunday’s thrashing of St Johnstone that he was committed to Celtic, and couldn’t really comment on those Villa links as they hadn’t offered him the job, meaning he couldn’t rule him out either.

The Daily Star report that Villa aren’t deterred by those comments and still want to speak to Rodgers about the job, but it still appears incredibly unlikely that Rodgers will head to Villa Park.

The Northern Irishman has seemed a little frustrated in recent months over the club’s summer transfer business, and that has transferred onto the pitch, with Celtic’s form far patchier than it ever has been under Rodgers.

That gave some Villa fans hope that he would be tempted by a move to Villa Park, but pundit John Hartson has reacted to the comments by telling The Glasgow Evening Times that Rodgers said nothing that would suggest he wants to go to Villa.

Hartson added that he thinks Rodgers will be fed up with the rumours and the questions, but ultimately thinks there is little chance that the Celtic boss is eyeing up an exit any time soon.

“I heard a lot of people going over his comments to the written press in the wake of Sunday’s win at St Johnstone when Brendan said that he “you can’t rule me out because I’ve never been asked”. To me there is nothing there that would lead me to think he is leaving the door open for Villa,” said Hartson. “He is being honest. If he hasn’t been asked then there really isn’t a story. He cannot deny something that has not actually happened, can he?”

“And actually if I were in his shoes I think I’d be pretty fed up with it. How many times does he have to say that he enjoys his work at Celtic, that he enjoys his life at Celtic? He will leave one day, nothing lasts forever, but I just don’t get the vibe off Brendan that he feels as though that time is now,” he added.