COWARDLY

Raging Rodgers slams 'insider' who claimed he was working his ticket out of Parkhead and calls on them to quit | Boss says there's been plot against him in BOTH his spells in charge... but insists he'd like to stay longer at Celts

- MICHAEL GANNON

BRENDAN RODGERS last night came out all guns blazing during a blockbuster press conference that has rocked Celtic Park.

The Hoops boss branded the unnamed club insider, who claimed in a newspaper he was engineering an exit, as a coward who should resign.

The Northern Irishman revealed he wants to REMAIN as Hoops boss beyond the season but only if the club back his vision. And Rodgers also ripped up Celtic's controversial statement defending their summer transfer dealings by admitting he agrees with the fans' frustrations.

The epic 32-minute press event was no holds barred and caused such a stir that Celtic's media department held off from unleashing it on video on social media for three hours.

Rodgers wants to draw a line under a fractious fortnight with a fans' protest against the board planned for tomorrow's clash at Kilmarnock.

And he insisted he WON'T be forced out of his dream job by forces behind the scenes.

Rodgers said: "My honest take? I thought it was a cowardly action by whoever it is. It is not something you would want.

"Certainly my relationships with the guys here, within the board, I would struggle to understand the 'why?'.