Celtic’s summer was turned upside down last year after Ange Postecoglou decided to leave the club and head to Tottenham Hotspur.
The move had the potential to send the club into disarray but, to be fair to the Celtic board, they moved quickly to bring in Brendan Rodgers and tie up our best players to new and improved deals.
But it wasn’t the contract extensions for Reo Hatate, Daizen Maeda and Matt O’Riley that was the most important business for Rodgers.
Former Aberdeen favourite, Duncan Shearer claims it was work done in keeping a key member of the backroom team that was best bit of business that was done by Celtic.
Shearer says John Kennedy is ‘important’ to Celtic
Speaking about the incoming appointment of Jimmy Thelin to Aberdeen, Shearer was making the point about the new Dons manager getting his number two appointment right.
And told Thelin to look at Celtic as an example of just how vital it is to get the right man in has his support.
Shearer said [Press & Journal], “Having someone on your coaching staff who knows the league and the players is important.
“It’s why Brendan Rodgers has John Kennedy as his assistant at Celtic, and why Philippe Clement can turn to Alex Rae at Rangers.
“I don’t believe for a second Thelin will come in blind to Scottish football – after all, he will have had six weeks to learn more about the squad he is inheriting and the league he is coming to.”
John Kennedy was persuaded to stay on at Celtic by Rodgers last summer as the Irishman knew just how vital he would be to help stabilise the club.
Rodgers viewed Kennedy as ‘an important part of his plans‘ and that will be down to Kennedy’s knowledge of what it takes to be successful at Celtic and down to how highly he values the former Hoops defender.
Kennedy has had his critics over his time at Celtic but there is no denying that he has played a huge part in the clubs most successful period in their modern history.